Average Salaries in Grand Island, NE
Explore salaries across 192 occupations in Grand Island, NE. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $60K, -8.7% 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: 192 occupations and 31,810 total jobs in Grand Island, NE.
How the metro compares
Grand Island, NE pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Grand Island, NE 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 Grand Island, NE
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 Grand Island, NE
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $177.7K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $173.7K | 70 |
| Physician Assistants | $141.6K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $137.1K | 150 |
| Sales Managers | $134.8K | 60 |
| Pharmacists | $134.5K | 70 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $130.4K | 30 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $125.7K | 80 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $123K | 50 |
| Educational, Guidance, And Career Counselors And Advisors | $109.5K | 90 |
Largest occupations in Grand Island, NE
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,250 | $29.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,070 | $30.8K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 970 | $60.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 870 | $79.5K |
| Cashiers | 860 | $30.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 830 | $82.6K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 670 | $34.7K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 660 | $44.4K |
| Nursing Assistants | 590 | $38.9K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 570 | $29.8K |
What Grand Island, NE 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 Grand Island, NE than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Grand Island, NE
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 12.36 | $49.1K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 8.45 | $44.3K |
| New Accounts Clerks | 6.80 | $47.3K |
| Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, And Applicators, Vegetation | 5.21 | $39.2K |
| Cleaners Of Vehicles And Equipment | 4.76 | $50.3K |
| Packaging And Filling Machine Operators And Tenders | 4.30 | $48.5K |
| Mixing And Blending Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.76 | $56.5K |
| Opticians, Dispensing | 3.38 | $37.8K |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, And Weighers | 3.10 | $49.7K |
| Procurement Clerks | 3.10 | $52.3K |
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 Grand Island, NE
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.