Average Salaries in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Explore salaries across 309 occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $64K, -2.7% 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: 309 occupations and 90,950 total jobs in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN.
How the metro compares
Wages in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $416.9K | 120 |
| Physicians, All Other | $368.8K | 120 |
| Chief Executives | $204.5K | 40 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $177.6K | 170 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $142.6K | 70 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $141.7K | 240 |
| Optometrists | $134.8K | 50 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $133.3K | 170 |
| Physician Assistants | $133.1K | 50 |
| Public Relations Managers | $131.3K | 40 |
Largest occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 6,280 | $63.1K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,260 | $28.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,650 | $30.7K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 2,470 | $37.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,100 | $38.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,080 | $80.8K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,040 | $42.8K |
| Cashiers | 1,910 | $29.5K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,780 | $35.7K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Production And Operating Workers | 1,720 | $74.8K |
What Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineers | 53.93 | $86.3K |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 7.76 | $48.1K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 6.80 | $63.1K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 4.70 | $44.7K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Production And Operating Workers | 3.88 | $74.8K |
| Crushing, Grinding, And Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.83 | $66.8K |
| Machinists | 3.81 | $62.2K |
| Court Reporters And Simultaneous Captioners | 3.67 | $57.5K |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists And Technicians | 3.65 | $74.3K |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 3.35 | $82.4K |
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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
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.