Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Across all occupations in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,780 a year ($23.45 an hour) and the mean $60,210, May 2025. That median is −4% against the US median of $50,980 and +2% against Indiana's $47,860. BLS counts 102,200 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is general internal medicine physicians; the largest is miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators.
All occupations: Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN vs Indiana and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | Hourly | $13.85 | $17.41 | $23.45 | $34.55 | $47.96 | $28.95 | 102,200 |
| Annual | $28,810 | $36,220 | $48,780 | $71,860 | $99,750 | $60,210 | ||
| Indiana | Hourly | $14.00 | $17.55 | $23.01 | $34.62 | $48.63 | $29.25 | 3,201,220 |
| Annual | $29,120 | $36,500 | $47,860 | $72,000 | $101,160 | $60,840 | ||
| 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 | ||
308 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Indiana. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $416,860 | $200.41 | 120 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $368,750 | $177.29 | 120 |
| 3 | Chief Executives | $204,450 | $98.30 | 40 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $177,640 | $85.40 | 170 |
| 5 | Natural Sciences Managers | $142,640 | $68.58 | 70 |
| 6 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $141,700 | $68.12 | 240 |
| 7 | Optometrists | $134,830 | $64.82 | 50 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Indiana | $133,270 | $64.07 | 170 |
| 9 | Physician Assistants | $133,060 | $63.97 | 50 |
| 10 | Public Relations Managers | $131,280 | $63.12 | 40 |
| 11 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,820 | $60.97 | 240 |
| 12 | Industrial Production Managers | $124,050 | $59.64 | 270 |
| 13 | Pharmacists | $122,990 | $59.13 | 290 |
| 14 | Purchasing Managers | $122,410 | $58.85 | 30 |
| 15 | Financial Managers in Indiana | $121,020 | $58.18 | 310 |
| 16 | Sales Managers in Indiana | $120,980 | $58.17 | 200 |
| 17 | Human Resources Managers | $119,620 | $57.51 | 140 |
| 18 | Marketing Managers | $117,150 | $56.32 | 80 |
| 19 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $112,900 | $54.28 | 80 |
| 20 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $111,470 | * | 140 |
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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Most concentrated occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
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 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators in Indiana | 6.80 | 6,280 | 61.48 | $63,140 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers in Indiana | 3.88 | 1,720 | 16.82 | $74,770 |
| 3 | Machinists | 3.81 | 720 | 7.03 | $62,220 |
| 4 | Operations Research Analysts | 3.35 | 240 | 2.34 | $86,910 |
| 4 | Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 3.35 | 330 | 3.23 | $82,390 |
| 6 | Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.15 | 240 | 2.31 | $51,490 |
| 7 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.03 | 440 | 4.32 | $109,110 |
| 8 | Biological Technicians | 2.89 | 130 | 1.30 | $62,630 |
| 9 | Fundraisers | 2.69 | 200 | 1.92 | * |
| 10 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | 2.67 | 120 | 1.15 | $416,860 |
Occupation groups in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $107,310 | $124,470 | 4,590 | 44.96 | 0.63 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $94,630 | $94,830 | 2,090 | 20.45 | 1.22 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $83,910 | $87,320 | 2,030 | 19.91 | 0.59 |
| Legal | $80,970 | $106,470 | 390 | 3.83 | 0.46 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $79,970 | $95,680 | 6,590 | 64.45 | 1.02 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $75,220 | $79,890 | 4,230 | 41.41 | 0.61 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $65,790 | $75,180 | 1,150 | 11.29 | 1.19 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $62,290 | $74,920 | 8,300 | 81.21 | 1.39 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,920 | $65,260 | 3,780 | 37.03 | 0.90 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,610 | $60,920 | 4,160 | 40.69 | 1.04 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $57,470 | $74,950 | 1,110 | 10.89 | 0.83 |
| Community and Social Service | $54,010 | $56,860 | 1,910 | 18.74 | 1.09 |
| Production | $50,950 | $55,770 | 15,420 | 150.86 | 2.74 |
| Protective Service | $49,910 | $54,740 | 1,630 | 15.97 | 0.66 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $48,140 | $49,500 | 230 | 2.27 | 0.81 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,220 | $48,800 | 9,860 | 96.49 | 0.85 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,160 | $38,650 | 3,250 | 31.79 | 1.09 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,960 | $43,470 | 8,320 | 81.38 | 0.93 |
| Healthcare Support | $37,470 | $39,520 | 3,820 | 37.37 | 0.74 |
| Sales and Related | $35,400 | $45,500 | 7,400 | 72.43 | 0.84 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,510 | $34,720 | 1,710 | 16.71 | 0.80 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $28,700 | $31,160 | 10,210 | 99.90 | 1.14 |
Every occupation in Indiana, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 308 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN estimates (area 29200).
*- 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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.