Average Salaries in Charleston, WV
Explore salaries across 346 occupations in Charleston, WV. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.9K, -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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 346 occupations and 95,790 total jobs in Charleston, WV.
How the metro compares
Charleston, WV pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Charleston, WV is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Surgeons, All Other. 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 Charleston, 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.
Highest-paid occupations in Charleston, WV
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | $619.3K | 60 |
| Radiologists | $482.7K | 60 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $344.3K | 90 |
| Physicians, All Other | $285.5K | 180 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $280.3K | 220 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $165.7K | 70 |
| Chief Executives | $161.5K | 240 |
| Dentists, General | $153K | 70 |
| Industrial Engineers | $143.9K | 160 |
| Pharmacists | $131.7K | 340 |
Largest occupations in Charleston, WV
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,320 | $80.2K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 3,200 | $28.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,650 | $29.1K |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,230 | $23.2K |
| Cashiers | 2,170 | $26.3K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,160 | $83.2K |
| Security Guards | 2,160 | $20.8K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,650 | $37.5K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 1,630 | $43.6K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,490 | $30.3K |
What Charleston, 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 Charleston, WV than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Charleston, WV
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 17.33 | $84.5K |
| Gas Compressor And Gas Pumping Station Operators | 14.39 | $73.1K |
| Gas Plant Operators | 8.26 | $85.8K |
| Environmental Engineers | 8.01 | N/A |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 7.69 | $65.3K |
| Financial Clerks, All Other | 7.59 | $44.2K |
| Environmental Science And Protection Technicians, Including Health | 7.54 | $59.1K |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 7.41 | $63.5K |
| Tank Car, Truck, And Ship Loaders | 7.18 | $54.8K |
| Petroleum Engineers | 6.72 | $88.9K |
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 Charleston, 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.