Average Salaries in Erie, PA
Explore salaries across 350 occupations in Erie, PA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $59.7K, -9.2% 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: 350 occupations and 113,680 total jobs in Erie, PA.
How the metro compares
Erie, PA pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Erie, PA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Family Medicine Physicians. 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 Erie, PA
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 Erie, PA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $277.9K | 40 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $212.1K | 70 |
| Chief Executives | $170.3K | 100 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $149.4K | 180 |
| Dentists, General | $137.5K | 80 |
| Purchasing Managers | $135.6K | 40 |
| Optometrists | $134.2K | 40 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $131.6K | 300 |
| Pharmacists | $128.4K | 220 |
| Lawyers | $128.1K | 260 |
Largest occupations in Erie, PA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 6,640 | $27.9K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 3,510 | $26.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,340 | $28.6K |
| Registered Nurses | 3,060 | $80K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,840 | $89.8K |
| Cashiers | 2,610 | $28.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 2,200 | $35.9K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,150 | $42.2K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 2,120 | $45.3K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,840 | $28.6K |
What Erie, PA 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 Erie, PA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Erie, PA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 8.55 | $48.1K |
| Foundry Mold And Coremakers | 7.87 | $46.3K |
| Molding, Coremaking, And Casting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 7.41 | $36.5K |
| Forging Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 6.59 | $55.3K |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, And Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 6.24 | $45.4K |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 5.20 | $36.9K |
| Tool And Die Makers | 5.19 | $63.7K |
| Cutting, Punching, And Press Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 3.76 | $43.5K |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.60 | $75.9K |
| Coin, Vending, And Amusement Machine Servicers And Repairers | 3.44 | $37.6K |
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 Erie, PA
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.