Average Salaries in Indiana
Explore salaries across 768 occupations in Indiana. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.9K, +0.6% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 768 occupations and 3,176,960 total jobs in Indiana.
How the state compares
Wages in Indiana track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Indiana has a mid-sized labor market, with strong representation in some occupations but thinner coverage in niche roles.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Nurse Anesthetists. 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 Indiana
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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Indiana
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $233.2K | 350 |
| Chief Executives | $205.8K | 2,200 |
| Orthodontists | $203.5K | 130 |
| Pediatricians, General | $202.4K | 970 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $200.3K | 660 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, And Magistrates | $177.2K | 720 |
| Dentists, General | $177.0K | 2,700 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $171.1K | N/A |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $155.8K | 620 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $144.9K | 4,490 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Indiana
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 101,500 | $28.3K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 97,350 | $39.8K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 96,690 | $42.8K |
| Retail Salespersons | 82,400 | $30.3K |
| Registered Nurses | 68,950 | $80.7K |
| Cashiers | 67,770 | $28.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 66,160 | $43.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 62,540 | $35.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 57,870 | $60.1K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 54,690 | $31.4K |
What Indiana 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 Indiana than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Indiana
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Pourers And Casters, Metal | 8.80 | $54.1K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 8.47 | $75.6K |
| Engine And Other Machine Assemblers | 7.22 | $73.5K |
| Patternmakers, Metal And Plastic | 5.06 | $54.0K |
| Fiberglass Laminators And Fabricators | 4.83 | $45.2K |
| Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, And Hostlers | 4.38 | $48.0K |
| Furniture Finishers | 4.27 | $46.3K |
| Electronic Equipment Installers And Repairers, Motor Vehicles | 3.60 | $55.5K |
| Cutters And Trimmers, Hand | 3.58 | $40.5K |
| Machine Feeders And Offbearers | 3.57 | $37.7K |
Peer markets
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $86.2K | Obstetricians And Gynecologists |
| California | $77.6K | Chief Executives |
| Washington | $77.0K | Podiatrists |
| New York | $76.7K | Physicians, All Other |
| Massachusetts | $75.6K | Dentists, All Other Specialists |
| New Jersey | $73.7K | Physicians, All Other |
| Alaska | $73.0K | Dentists, General |
| Connecticut | $72.7K | Nurse Anesthetists |
Metros inside Indiana
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.
Inside this state
Major metros in Indiana
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $64.3K | 1,081,930 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $58.7K | 217,590 |
| Evansville, IN | $58.9K | 127,290 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $59.9K | 124,070 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $57.9K | 123,550 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $59.0K | 92,120 |
| Bloomington, IN | $60.4K | 62,360 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $56.8K | 58,960 |
| Columbus, IN | $61.2K | 42,980 |
| Muncie, IN | $56.7K | 37,590 |
Common salary questions for Indiana
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.