Average Salaries in Georgia
Explore salaries across 759 occupations in Georgia. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $69.4K, +5.5% 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: 759 occupations and 4,840,120 total jobs in Georgia.
How the state compares
Georgia pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Georgia has a large and diverse labor market, with meaningful employment across most occupations.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers. 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 Georgia
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 Georgia
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $618.1K | 8,770 |
| Cardiologists | $610.1K | 1,150 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $502.1K | 300 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $474.8K | 490 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $425.5K | 5,440 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $382.9K | 120 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $354K | 350 |
| Radiologists | $335.2K | N/A |
| Physicians, All Other | $266.9K | 8,580 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $259.3K | 3,690 |
Largest occupations in Georgia
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 145,030 | $26.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 143,120 | $30.8K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 137,580 | $38.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 111,060 | $103.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 100,950 | $93.6K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 97,850 | $39.6K |
| Cashiers | 97,540 | $29.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 86,660 | $35.6K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 76,470 | $18.7K |
| Office Clerks, General | 75,390 | $40.6K |
What Georgia 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 Georgia than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Georgia
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Textile Winding, Twisting, And Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 12.75 | $38.9K |
| Textile Knitting And Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 8.67 | $40.9K |
| Extruding And Forming Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Synthetic And Glass Fibers | 6.26 | $45.4K |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 5.53 | $39.8K |
| Teachers And Instructors, All Other | 4.58 | $60.1K |
| Textile, Apparel, And Furnishings Workers, All Other | 4.47 | $36.5K |
| Forest Fire Inspectors And Prevention Specialists | 4.04 | $48K |
| Healthcare Diagnosing Or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 3.48 | $126.3K |
| Metal Workers And Plastic Workers, All Other | 3.46 | $42K |
| Educational Instruction And Library Workers, All Other | 3.28 | $24.8K |
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89.7K | Neurologists |
| Washington | $86.5K | Cardiologists |
| New York | $83.2K | Cardiologists |
| California | $83.2K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Massachusetts | $81.2K | Radiologists |
| New Jersey | $80.4K | Radiologists |
| Minnesota | $79.9K | Radiologists |
| Alaska | $79.6K | Emergency Medicine Physicians |
Metros inside Georgia
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Major metros in Georgia
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $72.1K | 2,846,140 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $64.7K | 221,050 |
| Savannah, GA | $62.8K | 181,960 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $59.1K | 108,170 |
| Gainesville, GA | $59.8K | 93,800 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $59.2K | 88,060 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $61.4K | 83,030 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $63K | 68,000 |
| Dalton, GA | $61.7K | 59,520 |
| Albany, GA | $58.8K | 49,560 |
Common salary questions for Georgia
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 states 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.