Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
Across all occupations in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metropolitan area, the median wage is $46,330 a year ($22.28 an hour) and the mean $56,800, May 2025. That median is −9% against the US median of $50,980 and −7% against Pennsylvania's $49,690. BLS counts 255,620 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is family medicine physicians; the largest is stockers and order fillers.
All occupations: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Pennsylvania and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | Hourly | $13.48 | $17.09 | $22.28 | $31.03 | $45.94 | $27.31 | 255,620 |
| Annual | $28,040 | $35,550 | $46,330 | $64,550 | $95,560 | $56,800 | ||
| 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 | ||
448 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | $297,430 | $142.99 | 70 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $232,880 | $111.96 | 640 |
| 3 | Chief Executives | $216,530 | $104.10 | 270 |
| 4 | Nurse Anesthetists | $199,800 | $96.06 | ** |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $195,480 | $93.98 | 170 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $156,420 | $75.20 | 210 |
| 7 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pennsylvania | $135,700 | $65.24 | 430 |
| 8 | Optometrists | $133,010 | $63.95 | 80 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $130,950 | $62.96 | 570 |
| 10 | Marketing Managers | $127,000 | $61.06 | 250 |
| 11 | Veterinarians | $126,960 | $61.04 | 100 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,820 | $60.97 | 430 |
| 13 | Physician Assistants | $126,230 | $60.69 | 310 |
| 14 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $125,800 | $60.48 | 50 |
| 15 | Financial Managers in Pennsylvania | $124,920 | $60.06 | 920 |
| 16 | Database Architects | $120,890 | $58.12 | 30 |
| 17 | Software Developers in Pennsylvania | $119,960 | $57.67 | 730 |
| 18 | Purchasing Managers | $119,920 | $57.65 | 60 |
| 19 | Sales Managers in Pennsylvania | $116,120 | $55.83 | 600 |
| 20 | Computer Network Architects | $114,570 | $55.08 | 90 |
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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
Most concentrated occupations in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, 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 | Shampooers | 9.18 | 120 | 0.48 | $19,690 |
| 2 | Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other | 5.31 | 140 | 0.54 | $52,880 |
| 3 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.45 | 100 | 0.37 | $42,500 |
| 4 | Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 3.85 | 980 | 3.83 | $59,010 |
| 5 | Psychiatric Technicians | 3.79 | 980 | 3.83 | $45,360 |
| 6 | Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.69 | 370 | 1.44 | $49,840 |
| 7 | Crossing Guards and Flaggers | 3.63 | 560 | 2.20 | $34,580 |
| 8 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Pennsylvania | 3.33 | 4,240 | 16.59 | $48,860 |
| 9 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 2.65 | 750 | 2.92 | $52,630 |
| 10 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 2.53 | 290 | 1.14 | $37,020 |
Occupation groups in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $98,530 | $114,290 | 15,130 | 59.21 | 0.83 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $82,380 | $88,110 | 2,730 | 10.69 | 0.63 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,520 | $88,720 | 3,840 | 15.02 | 0.44 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $76,020 | $82,250 | 1,280 | 5.02 | 0.53 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $75,350 | $88,910 | 18,070 | 70.68 | 1.12 |
| Legal | $73,320 | $93,900 | 1,430 | 5.59 | 0.67 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $71,710 | $77,950 | 10,890 | 42.60 | 0.63 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $61,290 | $62,620 | 13,180 | 51.56 | 0.88 |
| Construction and Extraction | $59,230 | $63,790 | 8,460 | 33.08 | 0.80 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,180 | $60,940 | 10,410 | 40.74 | 1.04 |
| Protective Service | $50,470 | $56,950 | 6,400 | 25.06 | 1.03 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $50,270 | $58,560 | 1,900 | 7.45 | 0.57 |
| Community and Social Service | $47,990 | $53,710 | 5,550 | 21.73 | 1.27 |
| Production | $46,180 | $50,050 | 20,870 | 81.65 | 1.48 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $45,080 | $47,400 | 28,870 | 112.95 | 0.99 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,410 | $45,950 | 39,350 | 153.93 | 1.75 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,710 | $37,750 | 6,510 | 25.48 | 0.87 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $35,920 | $40,200 | 230 | 0.89 | 0.32 |
| Healthcare Support | $34,790 | $35,690 | 15,690 | 61.39 | 1.21 |
| Sales and Related | $34,530 | $44,080 | 19,380 | 75.80 | 0.88 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,130 | $36,460 | 4,930 | 19.27 | 0.92 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $29,120 | $32,670 | 20,510 | 80.22 | 0.91 |
Every occupation in Pennsylvania, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 448 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA estimates (area 42540).
**- 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, 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.