Salary by occupation and city
Median pay for 48 occupations across 119 U.S. metropolitan areas, measured by the May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Every page shows what the survey measured locally, next to the rent and income reported for the city by the ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
Occupations covered
- Accountants and Auditors 103 cities
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 103 cities
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 103 cities
- Carpenters 103 cities
- Civil Engineers 103 cities
- Computer Systems Analysts 103 cities
- Computer User Support Specialists 102 cities
- Construction Laborers 103 cities
- Construction Managers 102 cities
- Customer Service Representatives 103 cities
- Data Scientists 101 cities
- Database Administrators 69 cities
- Dentists, General 100 cities
- Electricians 103 cities
- Elementary School Teachers 103 cities
- Family Medicine Physicians 98 cities
- Fast Food and Counter Workers 103 cities
- Financial Managers 103 cities
- Financial and Investment Analysts 103 cities
- Food Service Managers 102 cities
- General and Operations Managers 103 cities
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 103 cities
- Human Resources Specialists 103 cities
- Industrial Engineers 102 cities
- Industrial Production Managers 103 cities
- Information Security Analysts 99 cities
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 103 cities
- Lawyers 100 cities
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 103 cities
- Management Analysts 103 cities
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 103 cities
- Marketing Managers 103 cities
- Mechanical Engineers 101 cities
- Medical Assistants 103 cities
- Nurse Practitioners 103 cities
- Nursing Assistants 103 cities
- Physician Assistants 103 cities
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 103 cities
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 103 cities
- Preschool Teachers 103 cities
- Project Management Specialists 103 cities
- Registered Nurses 102 cities
- Retail Salespersons 103 cities
- Secondary School Teachers 103 cities
- Software Developers 103 cities
- Surgical Technologists 102 cities
- Waiters and Waitresses 103 cities
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 103 cities
Occupations ranked by typical pay
Midpoint of the median wages published for each occupation
| Occupation | Cities | Midpoint wage | Lowest city | Highest city | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | 98 | $251,550 | $76,830 | $481,870 | 82,360 |
| Dentists, General | 100 | $177,400 | $98,570 | $238,040 | 141,330 |
| Financial Managers | 103 | $158,620 | $121,140 | $225,280 | 1,037,630 |
| Marketing Managers | 103 | $149,960 | $106,090 | $231,370 | 533,430 |
| Lawyers | 100 | $136,320 | $101,300 | $301,320 | 1,044,230 |
| Physician Assistants | 103 | $134,650 | $107,220 | $223,640 | 175,090 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 103 | $132,610 | $103,900 | $231,560 | 309,390 |
| Software Developers | 103 | $130,330 | $101,560 | $213,110 | 2,185,280 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 103 | $126,960 | $101,080 | $171,140 | 204,460 |
| Information Security Analysts | 99 | $123,740 | $78,190 | $176,120 | 224,900 |
| Construction Managers | 102 | $118,350 | $84,030 | $166,030 | 386,890 |
| Data Scientists | 101 | $106,500 | $78,100 | $185,080 | 337,110 |
| General and Operations Managers | 103 | $104,330 | $77,770 | $163,860 | 3,655,910 |
| Database Administrators | 69 | $104,090 | $58,840 | $202,840 | 31,200 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 103 | $103,760 | $81,280 | $157,140 | 598,720 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 101 | $103,380 | $85,490 | $168,030 | 272,690 |
| Industrial Engineers | 102 | $102,975 | $82,760 | $171,910 | 338,730 |
| Civil Engineers | 103 | $100,510 | $76,620 | $130,280 | 410,470 |
| Project Management Specialists | 103 | $100,350 | $64,710 | $135,120 | 1,274,970 |
| Management Analysts | 103 | $98,430 | $68,140 | $136,670 | 1,109,960 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | 103 | $97,920 | $68,310 | $144,910 | 519,800 |
| Registered Nurses | 102 | $97,885 | $76,540 | $216,740 | 3,379,510 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 103 | $80,820 | $63,410 | $121,700 | 1,674,420 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 103 | $80,580 | $48,160 | $136,140 | 694,010 |
| Human Resources Specialists | 103 | $74,970 | $51,780 | $112,140 | 1,007,800 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 103 | $74,590 | $47,220 | $141,960 | 1,041,620 |
| Food Service Managers | 102 | $70,945 | $49,840 | $98,800 | 243,250 |
| Surgical Technologists | 102 | $66,965 | $46,820 | $106,840 | 114,440 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 103 | $66,190 | $48,410 | $108,230 | 1,058,550 |
| Electricians | 103 | $65,130 | $46,140 | $105,090 | 770,400 |
| Elementary School Teachers | 103 | $63,800 | $47,220 | $103,390 | 1,380,290 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 103 | $63,750 | $46,350 | $107,560 | 479,940 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 102 | $60,685 | $49,280 | $106,040 | 746,520 |
| Carpenters | 103 | $60,650 | $41,540 | $94,310 | 717,950 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 103 | $59,530 | $47,570 | $81,790 | 1,776,340 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 103 | $56,160 | $40,100 | $81,120 | 285,460 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 103 | $51,580 | $39,450 | $77,840 | 651,940 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 103 | $50,870 | $39,710 | $66,130 | 1,342,630 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 103 | $50,200 | $36,700 | $63,630 | 1,538,560 |
| Construction Laborers | 103 | $48,230 | $33,740 | $77,960 | 1,048,420 |
| Medical Assistants | 103 | $45,890 | $35,320 | $61,970 | 871,410 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 103 | $44,990 | $34,420 | $60,480 | 2,626,610 |
| Nursing Assistants | 103 | $42,220 | $31,220 | $56,840 | 1,284,730 |
| Preschool Teachers | 103 | $37,400 | $28,760 | $53,810 | 524,760 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 103 | $36,500 | $28,500 | $46,550 | 2,395,290 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 103 | $35,850 | $15,080 | $60,250 | 2,431,580 |
| Retail Salespersons | 103 | $34,330 | $27,330 | $44,220 | 3,882,730 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 103 | $29,600 | $23,030 | $44,570 | 3,915,290 |
The midpoint is the middle value of the median wages published for the covered metro areas. It is a summary of this index, not a national median wage: it depends on which cities are covered and gives every city the same weight.
How to read these pages
- Occupation page
- One occupation across every covered city, ranked by median wage, with the share of that wage the local median rent takes.
- City page
- One occupation in one metropolitan area, next to the city's rent, the income needed for that rent, and the pay for the same occupation in similar cities.
- Occupation codes
- Occupations follow the Standard Occupational Classification used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which groups similar jobs and work.
Source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
Wages describe metropolitan areas; rent and income describe city boundaries. The two areas never match exactly, so a "rent share" here is a comparison of two geography levels rather than a household budget.