Average Salaries in Arizona
Explore salaries across 720 occupations in Arizona. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $65.2K, +5.9% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 720 occupations and 3,171,420 total jobs in Arizona.
How the state compares
Arizona pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Arizona has a mid-sized labor market, with strong representation in some occupations but thinner coverage in niche roles.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Nurse Anesthetists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Arizona
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Arizona
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $228.7K | N/A |
| Pediatricians, General | $227.4K | 910 |
| Physicians, All Other | $223.7K | 5,150 |
| Dentists, General | $206.7K | 2,930 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $198.8K | 2,070 |
| Physicists | $191.0K | 70 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $172.7K | 4,720 |
| Sales Engineers | $169.5K | 1,220 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $163.1K | 3,390 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $160.9K | 14,530 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Arizona
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General And Operations Managers | 100,340 | $90.0K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 89,030 | $43.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 88,490 | $35.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 86,640 | $33.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 73,540 | $39.2K |
| Cashiers | 70,780 | $33.0K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 69,100 | $36.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 64,430 | $96.9K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 55,010 | $36.7K |
| Office Clerks, General | 53,120 | $46.3K |
What Arizona specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Arizona than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Arizona
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 7.38 | $58.8K |
| Semiconductor Processing Technicians | 5.60 | $78.1K |
| Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 4.82 | $102.8K |
| Tapers | 3.92 | $48.2K |
| Anthropologists And Archeologists | 3.69 | $60.6K |
| Plasterers And Stucco Masons | 3.63 | $55.3K |
| Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians | 3.30 | $50.5K |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | 2.89 | $52.8K |
| Astronomers | 2.87 | $125.5K |
| Hydrologists | 2.67 | $76.4K |
Peer markets
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $86.2K | Obstetricians And Gynecologists |
| California | $77.6K | Chief Executives |
| Washington | $77.0K | Podiatrists |
| New York | $76.7K | Physicians, All Other |
| Massachusetts | $75.6K | Dentists, All Other Specialists |
| New Jersey | $73.7K | Physicians, All Other |
| Alaska | $73.0K | Dentists, General |
| Connecticut | $72.7K | Nurse Anesthetists |
Metros inside Arizona
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Inside this state
Major metros in Arizona
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $65.9K | 2,305,050 |
| Tucson, AZ | $61.1K | 369,340 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $59.3K | 64,380 |
| Yuma, AZ | $57.7K | 60,280 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $61.6K | 57,830 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $56.0K | 50,100 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $59.3K | 29,180 |
Common salary questions for Arizona
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other states with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.