Story and Visualization by Mike Miciag | Updated by Melanie Kiper, 4/13/2020
Workers in the top-paying occupations in most areas often earn more than $200,000, while those at the opposite end of the pay scale frequently earn an annual wage of less than $20,000. Wages vary considerably not only by profession, but also across metro areas. We have compiled the latest annual wage estimates, current as of May 2020, for occupations in each metro area. In general, most of the highest-paying occupations tend to be in the medical field.
Select a metro area to view its wage data.
Source: May 2020 Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About the Data
- Reported wages do not include tips and overtime pay.
- Data reflect estimated wages for nonfarm full-time and part-time wage and salary workers.
- The Labor Department calculates annual wages by multiplying hourly wages by 2,080 hours.
- See the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupation profiles for information on each occupation.
- Estimates were not published for some occupations even though they may account for jobs in a metro area.