Tucson, AZ
Across all occupations in the Tucson, AZ metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,760 a year ($22.96 an hour) and the mean $63,200, May 2025. That median is −6% against the US median of $50,980 and −5% against Arizona's $50,060. BLS counts 389,630 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is general and operations managers.
All occupations: Tucson, AZ vs Arizona and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Tucson, AZ | Hourly | $15.42 | $17.60 | $22.96 | $35.63 | $51.65 | $30.38 | 389,630 |
| Annual | $32,070 | $36,610 | $47,760 | $74,110 | $107,430 | $63,200 | ||
| Arizona | Hourly | $16.44 | $18.35 | $24.07 | $37.42 | $57.78 | $32.51 | 3,239,430 |
| Annual | $34,190 | $38,160 | $50,060 | $77,830 | $120,180 | $67,620 | ||
| 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: Arizona. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Tucson, AZ
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $357,070 | $171.67 | 900 |
| 2 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $299,990 | $144.23 | ** |
| 3 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $264,320 | $127.08 | 320 |
| 4 | Psychiatrists | $257,650 | $123.87 | 70 |
| 5 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $254,650 | $122.43 | 40 |
| 6 | Dermatologists | $231,030 | $111.07 | 80 |
| 7 | Family Medicine Physicians | $227,940 | $109.59 | 290 |
| 8 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $206,050 | * | 60 |
| 9 | Chief Executives | $185,100 | $88.99 | ** |
| 10 | Pediatricians, General | $183,400 | $88.18 | 80 |
| 11 | Dentists, General | $182,200 | $87.59 | 330 |
| 12 | Physicists | $171,190 | $82.31 | 30 |
| 13 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $159,610 | $76.74 | 1,070 |
| 14 | Optometrists | $157,650 | $75.79 | 80 |
| 15 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Arizona | $151,520 | $72.85 | 1,500 |
| 16 | Pharmacists | $147,420 | $70.87 | 1,010 |
| 17 | Sales Managers in Arizona | $138,880 | $66.77 | 1,100 |
| 18 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $138,560 | $66.62 | 40 |
| 19 | Purchasing Managers | $136,610 | $65.68 | ** |
| 20 | Psychologists, All Other | $134,430 | $64.63 | 50 |
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 Tucson, AZ
Most concentrated occupations in Tucson, AZ
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 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 20.51 | 720 | 1.85 | $60,880 |
| 2 | Aerospace Engineers | 10.14 | 1,720 | 4.42 | $106,760 |
| 3 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 9.38 | 140 | 0.37 | $106,220 |
| 4 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 7.54 | 210 | 0.55 | $75,230 |
| 5 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | 7.13 | 340 | 0.89 | $46,820 |
| 6 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 6.82 | 580 | 1.49 | $73,930 |
| 7 | Gambling Cage Workers | 6.09 | 220 | 0.57 | $47,320 |
| 8 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 5.67 | 1,620 | 4.17 | $105,350 |
| 9 | Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 5.50 | 2,260 | 5.80 | $45,810 |
| 10 | Avionics Technicians | 5.11 | 240 | 0.62 | $80,620 |
Occupation groups in Tucson, AZ
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $100,780 | $119,350 | 30,020 | 77.04 | 1.08 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $97,560 | $100,410 | 11,130 | 28.55 | 0.84 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $96,700 | $103,880 | 9,750 | 25.03 | 1.49 |
| Legal | $96,190 | $111,350 | 3,070 | 7.87 | 0.94 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $84,830 | $104,300 | 26,930 | 69.13 | 1.09 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $78,300 | $86,380 | 3,660 | 9.41 | 0.99 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $74,320 | $80,010 | 21,860 | 56.10 | 0.83 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $55,950 | $70,190 | 4,000 | 10.27 | 0.78 |
| Protective Service | $52,900 | $60,110 | 12,470 | 32.01 | 1.32 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $52,180 | $57,860 | 18,310 | 46.99 | 1.20 |
| Construction and Extraction | $50,640 | $55,560 | 15,920 | 40.85 | 0.99 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $49,170 | $58,310 | 23,660 | 60.72 | 1.04 |
| Community and Social Service | $48,890 | $53,600 | 8,390 | 21.53 | 1.25 |
| Production | $46,810 | $51,570 | 12,450 | 31.96 | 0.58 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,920 | $47,670 | 46,550 | 119.46 | 1.05 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,260 | $45,650 | 29,610 | 75.99 | 0.86 |
| Healthcare Support | $37,150 | $39,980 | 20,830 | 53.46 | 1.05 |
| Personal Care and Service | $36,350 | $41,410 | 8,910 | 22.88 | 1.09 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $36,260 | $39,570 | 350 | 0.90 | 0.32 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,240 | $38,640 | 11,860 | 30.43 | 1.04 |
| Sales and Related | $36,070 | $47,100 | 33,700 | 86.50 | 1.00 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $34,990 | $39,170 | 36,210 | 92.94 | 1.06 |
Every occupation in Arizona, 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 Tucson, AZ estimates (area 46060).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- 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 Tucson, AZ 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.