Average Salaries in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Explore salaries across 660 occupations in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $78.2K, +18.9% 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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 660 occupations and 1,322,540 total jobs in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.
How the metro compares
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Radiologists. 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
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.
Highest-paid occupations in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $581.5K | N/A |
| Anesthesiologists | $418K | N/A |
| Surgeons, All Other | $391.5K | 220 |
| Orthodontists | $361K | N/A |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $344.2K | 240 |
| Cardiologists | $337.2K | N/A |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $322.9K | 2,100 |
| Psychiatrists | $318.1K | 240 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $307.4K | 760 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $304.2K | 90 |
Largest occupations in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General And Operations Managers | 44,960 | $117K |
| Retail Salespersons | 39,920 | $34.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 30,930 | $99.6K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 29,780 | $49.2K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 28,350 | $43.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 26,880 | $37.6K |
| Cashiers | 22,300 | $33.8K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 21,090 | $33.1K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 19,590 | $36.2K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 19,050 | $36.5K |
What Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | 7.67 | $76.1K |
| Office And Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 6.59 | $48K |
| Hoist And Winch Operators | 5.85 | $99.8K |
| Counselors, All Other | 4.78 | $45.2K |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | 3.85 | $103K |
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | 3.84 | $82.6K |
| Therapists, All Other | 3.73 | $46.5K |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 3.58 | $322.9K |
| Healthcare Practitioners And Technical Workers, All Other | 3.54 | $75K |
| Archivists | 3.38 | $76.4K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
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 metros 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.