Erie, PA
Across all occupations in the Erie, PA metropolitan area, the median wage is $44,460 a year ($21.38 an hour) and the mean $55,110, May 2025. That median is −13% against the US median of $50,980 and −11% against Pennsylvania's $49,690. BLS counts 120,480 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is family medicine physicians; the largest is home health and personal care aides.
All occupations: Erie, PA vs Pennsylvania and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Erie, PA | Hourly | $12.91 | $15.85 | $21.38 | $30.78 | $45.85 | $26.50 | 120,480 |
| Annual | $26,840 | $32,960 | $44,460 | $64,030 | $95,370 | $55,110 | ||
| 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 | ||
345 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 Erie, PA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | $277,880 | $133.59 | 40 |
| 2 | Nurse Anesthetists | $212,120 | $101.98 | 70 |
| 3 | Chief Executives | $170,340 | $81.90 | 100 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $149,380 | $71.82 | 180 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $137,530 | $66.12 | 80 |
| 6 | Purchasing Managers | $135,580 | $65.18 | 40 |
| 7 | Optometrists | $134,230 | $64.53 | 40 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pennsylvania | $131,610 | $63.27 | 300 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $128,360 | $61.71 | 220 |
| 10 | Lawyers in Pennsylvania | $128,130 | $61.60 | 260 |
| 11 | Veterinarians | $123,670 | $59.46 | 70 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioners | $122,100 | $58.70 | 260 |
| 13 | Financial Managers in Pennsylvania | $121,550 | $58.44 | 430 |
| 14 | Marketing Managers | $120,090 | $57.73 | 130 |
| 15 | Sales Managers in Pennsylvania | $118,050 | $56.76 | 260 |
| 16 | Physician Assistants | $111,260 | $53.49 | 170 |
| 17 | Electrical Engineers | $109,260 | $52.53 | 200 |
| 18 | Managers, All Other in Pennsylvania | $107,970 | $51.91 | 230 |
| 19 | Mechanical Engineers | $106,890 | $51.39 | 590 |
| 20 | Business Teachers, Postsecondary | $106,300 | * | 120 |
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 Erie, PA
Most concentrated occupations in Erie, 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 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 7.41 | 860 | 7.17 | $36,530 |
| 2 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 6.24 | 320 | 2.69 | $45,390 |
| 3 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5.20 | 130 | 1.09 | $36,870 |
| 4 | Tool and Die Makers | 5.19 | 230 | 1.90 | $63,740 |
| 5 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.76 | 500 | 4.14 | $43,470 |
| 6 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.22 | 310 | 2.58 | $44,890 |
| 7 | Machinists | 2.86 | 640 | 5.27 | $55,120 |
| 8 | Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 2.85 | 340 | 2.84 | $55,220 |
| 9 | First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers | 2.66 | 240 | 1.96 | $45,540 |
| 10 | Mechanical Engineers | 2.58 | 590 | 4.93 | $106,890 |
Occupation groups in Erie, PA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $95,960 | $108,690 | 7,380 | 61.21 | 0.85 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $86,550 | $93,300 | 2,210 | 18.35 | 1.09 |
| Legal | $81,860 | $103,560 | 510 | 4.26 | 0.51 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,500 | $86,850 | 2,020 | 16.76 | 0.50 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $77,780 | $90,680 | 9,100 | 75.53 | 1.20 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $71,970 | $77,800 | 490 | 4.11 | 0.43 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $70,460 | $77,610 | 5,480 | 45.47 | 0.67 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $59,150 | $60,230 | 7,030 | 58.39 | 1.00 |
| Construction and Extraction | $57,120 | $60,400 | 3,500 | 29.04 | 0.70 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $50,480 | $54,650 | 4,170 | 34.62 | 0.88 |
| Protective Service | $50,080 | $58,270 | 2,910 | 24.14 | 0.99 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $48,450 | $59,490 | 1,160 | 9.63 | 0.73 |
| Community and Social Service | $47,050 | $51,410 | 2,940 | 24.43 | 1.42 |
| Production | $45,040 | $47,730 | 11,800 | 97.91 | 1.78 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $42,640 | $45,110 | 12,840 | 106.59 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,560 | $41,590 | 8,910 | 73.96 | 0.84 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $37,230 | $42,310 | 90 | 0.74 | 0.26 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $35,200 | $35,980 | 3,610 | 29.98 | 1.03 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,390 | $35,610 | 3,140 | 26.06 | 1.24 |
| Sales and Related | $32,160 | $42,120 | 9,700 | 80.49 | 0.93 |
| Healthcare Support | $31,200 | $33,740 | 9,900 | 82.20 | 1.62 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $28,120 | $31,170 | 11,590 | 96.16 | 1.09 |
Every occupation in Pennsylvania, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 345 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 Erie, PA estimates (area 21500).
*- 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 Erie, 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.