Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Across all occupations in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan area, the median wage is $49,610 a year ($23.85 an hour) and the mean $63,660, May 2025. That median is −3% against the US median of $50,980 and 0% against Pennsylvania's $49,690. BLS counts 335,010 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is cardiologists; the largest is home health and personal care aides.
All occupations: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA vs Pennsylvania and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | Hourly | $13.89 | $17.83 | $23.85 | $37.11 | $50.86 | $30.61 | 335,010 |
| Annual | $28,880 | $37,090 | $49,610 | $77,200 | $105,780 | $63,660 | ||
| 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 | ||
491 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $567,680 | $272.92 | 80 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physicians | $295,420 | $142.03 | 80 |
| 3 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $288,290 | $138.60 | 40 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $209,140 | $100.55 | 520 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $193,760 | $93.15 | 130 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $164,150 | $78.92 | 430 |
| 7 | Physicians, All Other | $156,000 | $75.00 | 1,310 |
| 8 | Database Architects | $151,210 | $72.70 | 150 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pennsylvania | $146,300 | $70.34 | 1,360 |
| 10 | Pharmacists | $135,480 | $65.14 | 750 |
| 11 | Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $135,390 | $65.09 | 100 |
| 12 | Purchasing Managers | $134,660 | $64.74 | 150 |
| 13 | Optometrists | $133,820 | $64.34 | 90 |
| 14 | Financial Managers in Pennsylvania | $133,080 | $63.98 | 1,660 |
| 15 | Veterinarians | $132,750 | $63.82 | 180 |
| 16 | Nurse Practitioners | $132,670 | $63.79 | 500 |
| 17 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $132,540 | $63.72 | 60 |
| 18 | Lawyers in Pennsylvania | $131,440 | $63.19 | 1,930 |
| 19 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $131,040 | * | 380 |
| 20 | Human Resources Managers | $130,200 | $62.60 | 440 |
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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Most concentrated occupations in Harrisburg-Carlisle, 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 | Economists | 4.51 | 170 | 0.52 | $80,010 |
| 2 | Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | 4.33 | 530 | 1.58 | $54,060 |
| 3 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 4.09 | 140 | 0.43 | $100,110 |
| 4 | Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 3.91 | 890 | 2.65 | $56,430 |
| 5 | Emergency Management Directors | 3.73 | 110 | 0.32 | $76,940 |
| 6 | Budget Analysts | 3.68 | 370 | 1.12 | $80,480 |
| 7 | Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | 3.62 | 270 | 0.82 | $45,520 |
| 8 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Pennsylvania | 3.09 | 5,150 | 15.37 | $45,950 |
| 9 | Health Education Specialists | 3.04 | 430 | 1.28 | $84,070 |
| 10 | Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers | 2.88 | 160 | 0.49 | $46,600 |
Occupation groups in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $109,780 | $127,650 | 23,840 | 71.15 | 0.99 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $95,580 | $98,090 | 10,000 | 29.84 | 0.88 |
| Legal | $95,120 | $115,080 | 3,280 | 9.78 | 1.16 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $83,940 | $91,600 | 4,480 | 13.37 | 0.79 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $82,530 | $97,280 | 25,030 | 74.72 | 1.18 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $77,120 | $81,930 | 3,000 | 8.96 | 0.95 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $76,910 | $82,890 | 25,110 | 74.96 | 1.11 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $62,620 | $66,630 | 16,790 | 50.13 | 0.86 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,160 | $67,610 | 9,160 | 27.34 | 0.66 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,120 | $60,700 | 11,690 | 34.90 | 0.89 |
| Community and Social Service | $59,630 | $61,610 | 6,470 | 19.30 | 1.12 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $58,130 | $68,210 | 3,670 | 10.96 | 0.83 |
| Protective Service | $47,740 | $59,180 | 7,280 | 21.72 | 0.89 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $47,260 | $50,080 | 38,700 | 115.52 | 1.01 |
| Production | $46,300 | $49,740 | 15,330 | 45.76 | 0.83 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,830 | $48,330 | 44,300 | 132.22 | 1.50 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $39,960 | $43,140 | 330 | 0.99 | 0.35 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,250 | $38,960 | 8,270 | 24.70 | 0.84 |
| Sales and Related | $35,770 | $47,600 | 24,090 | 71.90 | 0.83 |
| Healthcare Support | $34,930 | $36,150 | 21,670 | 64.70 | 1.27 |
| Personal Care and Service | $33,590 | $36,130 | 7,660 | 22.85 | 1.09 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,290 | $33,800 | 24,870 | 74.23 | 0.84 |
Every occupation in Pennsylvania, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 491 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA estimates (area 25420).
*- 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, 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.