Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Across all occupations in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,990 a year ($23.55 an hour) and the mean $64,090, May 2025. That median is −4% against the US median of $50,980 and −1% against Pennsylvania's $49,690. BLS counts 377,180 jobs in the area, which spans Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The highest-paying occupation is orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric; the largest is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
All occupations: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ vs Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | Hourly | $14.29 | $17.91 | $23.55 | $36.56 | $50.62 | $30.81 | 377,180 |
| Annual | $29,720 | $37,260 | $48,990 | $76,050 | $105,280 | $64,090 | ||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $13.91 | $17.64 | $23.89 | $37.63 | $56.66 | $31.60 | 6,064,600 |
| Annual | $28,920 | $36,690 | $49,690 | $78,270 | $117,860 | $65,730 | ||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $16.56 | $18.94 | $28.16 | $46.50 | $68.63 | $37.52 | 4,285,720 |
| Annual | $34,450 | $39,400 | $58,570 | $96,720 | $142,750 | $78,040 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
515 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profiles: Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $529,890 | $254.75 | 50 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physicians | $371,260 | $178.49 | 270 |
| 3 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $331,550 | $159.40 | 30 |
| 4 | Psychiatrists | $307,290 | $147.74 | ** |
| 5 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $306,610 | $147.41 | 110 |
| 6 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $298,430 | $143.48 | ** |
| 7 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $296,980 | $142.78 | ** |
| 8 | Chief Executives | $279,080 | $134.17 | 400 |
| 9 | Physicians, All Other | $258,750 | $124.40 | 1,890 |
| 10 | Pediatricians, General | $212,490 | $102.16 | 80 |
| 11 | Nurse Anesthetists | $211,130 | $101.50 | 440 |
| 12 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $172,210 | $82.79 | 190 |
| 13 | Commercial Pilots | $170,600 | * | 50 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,180 | $79.90 | 500 |
| 15 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pennsylvania | $165,660 | $79.64 | 1,030 |
| 16 | Database Architects | $160,300 | $77.07 | 110 |
| 17 | Dentists, General | $155,750 | $74.88 | 320 |
| 18 | Marketing Managers | $153,930 | $74.00 | 690 |
| 19 | Optometrists | $150,640 | $72.42 | 100 |
| 20 | Financial Managers in Pennsylvania | $146,030 | $70.21 | 1,390 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Most concentrated occupations in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | 10.97 | 340 | 0.90 | $43,440 |
| 2 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | 3.96 | 160 | 0.43 | $51,080 |
| 3 | Dietetic Technicians | 3.53 | 270 | 0.72 | $36,720 |
| 4 | Nurse Anesthetists | 3.50 | 440 | 1.17 | $211,130 |
| 5 | Chemical Engineers | 3.20 | 160 | 0.43 | * |
| 6 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Pennsylvania | 3.18 | 5,980 | 15.85 | $49,140 |
| 7 | Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 3.12 | 100 | 0.26 | $37,950 |
| 8 | Crossing Guards and Flaggers | 3.04 | 700 | 1.85 | $36,120 |
| 9 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 2.81 | 460 | 1.21 | $48,370 |
| 10 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | 2.56 | 380 | 1.01 | $51,030 |
Occupation groups in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $112,480 | $132,280 | 24,590 | 65.19 | 0.91 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $96,000 | $103,400 | 5,560 | 14.75 | 0.88 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $93,570 | $100,060 | 6,940 | 18.39 | 0.54 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $84,440 | $107,120 | 31,990 | 84.82 | 1.34 |
| Legal | $83,320 | $114,060 | 1,600 | 4.25 | 0.51 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $77,900 | $87,640 | 15,950 | 42.29 | 0.62 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $76,050 | $86,060 | 2,830 | 7.49 | 0.79 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $63,560 | $67,010 | 23,810 | 63.13 | 1.08 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $61,770 | $64,430 | 14,530 | 38.52 | 0.98 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,540 | $67,590 | 10,440 | 27.69 | 0.67 |
| Community and Social Service | $56,370 | $59,540 | 6,580 | 17.45 | 1.02 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $53,150 | $64,880 | 3,570 | 9.46 | 0.72 |
| Production | $48,990 | $52,310 | 26,640 | 70.64 | 1.28 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,700 | $49,640 | 39,250 | 104.06 | 0.91 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,980 | $47,820 | 50,830 | 134.77 | 1.53 |
| Protective Service | $45,590 | $57,300 | 7,690 | 20.39 | 0.84 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $41,390 | $44,320 | 300 | 0.79 | 0.28 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,310 | $40,780 | 11,570 | 30.68 | 1.05 |
| Healthcare Support | $37,580 | $38,470 | 22,070 | 58.51 | 1.15 |
| Sales and Related | $37,030 | $50,540 | 30,410 | 80.62 | 0.93 |
| Personal Care and Service | $34,770 | $39,660 | 9,050 | 23.99 | 1.15 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $32,510 | $35,440 | 30,970 | 82.12 | 0.93 |
Every occupation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profiles. All 515 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ estimates (area 10900).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.
- The area spans Pennsylvania and New Jersey; its figures are the whole MSA, as BLS publishes them, under the primary state Pennsylvania.