Average Salaries in Cleveland, OH
Explore salaries across 627 occupations in Cleveland, OH. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $67.6K, +2.9% 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: 627 occupations and 1,017,100 total jobs in Cleveland, OH.
How the metro compares
Wages in Cleveland, OH track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Cleveland, OH has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Neurologists. 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 Cleveland, OH
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 Cleveland, OH
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Neurologists | $383.4K | N/A |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $324.3K | 210 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $323.5K | 100 |
| Orthodontists | $318.1K | N/A |
| Psychiatrists | $271.8K | 120 |
| Physicians, All Other | $248.4K | 6,610 |
| Physicists | $239.4K | 240 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $231.8K | 390 |
| Pediatricians, General | $218K | 650 |
| Chief Executives | $199.4K | 980 |
Largest occupations in Cleveland, OH
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General And Operations Managers | 29,510 | $97.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 28,240 | $83.9K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 28,010 | $28.8K |
| Retail Salespersons | 24,650 | $31K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 22,660 | $36.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 19,400 | $34.5K |
| Cashiers | 18,720 | $29.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 17,090 | $38.7K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 15,900 | $46K |
| Office Clerks, General | 15,700 | $44.8K |
What Cleveland, OH 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 Cleveland, OH than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Cleveland, OH
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Pourers And Casters, Metal | 4.87 | $63K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 4.65 | $65.7K |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 4.25 | $48.7K |
| Special Education Teachers, Middle School | 3.95 | $79.9K |
| Foundry Mold And Coremakers | 3.85 | $49K |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, And Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 3.65 | $45.4K |
| Tool And Die Makers | 3.40 | $64.1K |
| Audiologists | 3.26 | $80.6K |
| Lathe And Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 3.12 | $51.3K |
| Telephone Operators | 3.06 | $39.6K |
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 Cleveland, OH
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.