Average Salaries in Beckley, WV
Explore salaries across 202 occupations in Beckley, WV. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $51.3K, -16.6% 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: 202 occupations and 37,680 total jobs in Beckley, WV.
How the metro compares
Beckley, WV is among the lower-paying metros. Most occupations here earn less than their national averages, though cost of living is typically lower too.
Beckley, WV is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Chief Executives. 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 Beckley, WV
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 Beckley, WV
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $150.9K | 80 |
| Pharmacists | $133.2K | 150 |
| Dentists, General | $125.7K | 40 |
| Physician Assistants | $125.1K | 70 |
| Electrical Engineers | $120.0K | 40 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $118.6K | 180 |
| Education Administrators, All Other | $113.7K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $110.4K | 170 |
| Managers, All Other | $110.1K | 140 |
| Medical And Health Services Managers | $102.9K | 150 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Beckley, WV
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,740 | $23.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,310 | $26.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,290 | $78.9K |
| Cashiers | 1,160 | $22.9K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,020 | $21.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 960 | $76.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 780 | $31.2K |
| Office Clerks, General | 730 | $30.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 700 | $28.9K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 690 | $47.5K |
What Beckley, WV 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 Beckley, WV than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Beckley, WV
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Roof Bolters, Mining | 306.58 | $76.0K |
| Loading And Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 121.59 | $71.1K |
| Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 60.04 | $78.9K |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | 39.61 | $68.4K |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 34.55 | $62.9K |
| Excavating And Loading Machine And Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 11.76 | $59.2K |
| Ambulance Drivers And Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | 11.00 | $22.3K |
| Tour And Travel Guides | 7.36 | $24.2K |
| Environmental Science And Protection Technicians, Including Health | 5.67 | $55.8K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 5.52 | $21.5K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Beckley, WV
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.