Altoona, PA
Across all occupations in the Altoona, PA metropolitan area, the median wage is $44,270 a year ($21.28 an hour) and the mean $54,240, May 2025. That median is −13% against the US median of $50,980 and −11% against Pennsylvania's $49,690. BLS counts 58,650 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Altoona, PA vs Pennsylvania and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Altoona, PA | Hourly | $12.54 | $15.67 | $21.28 | $29.78 | $44.73 | $26.08 | 58,650 |
| Annual | $26,090 | $32,600 | $44,270 | $61,940 | $93,030 | $54,240 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
241 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Pennsylvania. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Altoona, PA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $279,160 | $134.21 | 240 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $197,360 | $94.88 | 60 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133,050 | $63.96 | 60 |
| 4 | Pharmacists | $129,480 | $62.25 | 120 |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pennsylvania | $128,380 | $61.72 | 110 |
| 6 | Personal Financial Advisors | $125,820 | $60.49 | 40 |
| 7 | Physician Assistants | $123,270 | $59.27 | 190 |
| 8 | Nurse Practitioners | $119,930 | $57.66 | 80 |
| 9 | Marketing Managers | $119,670 | $57.54 | 70 |
| 10 | Dentists, General | $117,110 | $56.30 | 30 |
| 11 | Financial Managers in Pennsylvania | $113,980 | $54.80 | 230 |
| 12 | Electrical Engineers | $105,270 | $50.61 | 50 |
| 13 | Human Resources Managers | $104,010 | $50.00 | 60 |
| 14 | Managers, All Other in Pennsylvania | $102,150 | $49.11 | 130 |
| 15 | Software Developers in Pennsylvania | $101,670 | $48.88 | 180 |
| 16 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $100,790 | * | 130 |
| 17 | Sales Managers in Pennsylvania | $100,710 | $48.42 | 160 |
| 18 | Industrial Production Managers | $99,660 | $47.91 | 120 |
| 19 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $98,060 | $47.14 | 70 |
| 20 | Physical Therapists | $97,710 | $46.98 | 150 |
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 Altoona, PA
Most concentrated occupations in Altoona, PA
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 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.79 | 170 | 2.96 | $44,890 |
| 2 | Food Batchmakers | 4.27 | 280 | 4.79 | $35,670 |
| 3 | Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 4.20 | 250 | 4.18 | $55,220 |
| 4 | Crossing Guards and Flaggers | 3.97 | 140 | 2.41 | $52,030 |
| 5 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 3.50 | 500 | 8.53 | $37,800 |
| 6 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.48 | 160 | 2.79 | $52,080 |
| 7 | Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | 3.22 | 220 | 3.78 | $40,870 |
| 8 | Physician Assistants | 3.12 | 190 | 3.25 | $123,270 |
| 9 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 2.77 | 100 | 1.69 | $47,200 |
| 10 | Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 2.76 | 510 | 8.72 | $46,260 |
Occupation groups in Altoona, PA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $93,500 | $106,890 | 3,670 | 62.63 | 0.87 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $81,470 | $88,030 | 690 | 11.83 | 0.70 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $77,540 | $82,880 | 860 | 14.66 | 0.43 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $75,030 | $93,730 | 4,770 | 81.25 | 1.29 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $73,710 | $76,940 | 410 | 7.07 | 0.75 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $69,810 | $75,390 | 2,480 | 42.31 | 0.62 |
| Legal | $68,690 | $82,190 | 180 | 3.06 | 0.36 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $58,700 | $57,610 | 2,630 | 44.82 | 0.77 |
| Construction and Extraction | $55,360 | $60,770 | 2,200 | 37.46 | 0.91 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $49,750 | $54,660 | 2,590 | 44.22 | 1.13 |
| Protective Service | $48,290 | $53,300 | 970 | 16.61 | 0.68 |
| Community and Social Service | $46,770 | $51,650 | 1,620 | 27.66 | 1.61 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $45,920 | $56,560 | 490 | 8.35 | 0.63 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $42,860 | $44,670 | 6,560 | 111.88 | 0.98 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $42,710 | $46,910 | 40 | 0.74 | 0.26 |
| Production | $42,070 | $44,370 | 4,770 | 81.39 | 1.48 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $38,490 | $42,110 | 6,260 | 106.75 | 1.21 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,380 | $36,000 | 3,390 | 57.84 | 1.14 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,370 | $35,590 | 1,500 | 25.50 | 0.87 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,810 | $34,520 | 1,400 | 23.95 | 1.14 |
| Sales and Related | $30,600 | $39,890 | 5,700 | 97.22 | 1.13 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $27,780 | $30,090 | 5,440 | 92.82 | 1.05 |
Every occupation in Pennsylvania, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 241 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 Altoona, PA estimates (area 11020).
*- Wage 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 Altoona, PA 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.