Average Salaries in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Explore salaries across 308 occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $59.0K, -4.1% 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: 308 occupations and 92,120 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 Chief Executives. 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $204.9K | 70 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $178.3K | 200 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $154.3K | 60 |
| Public Relations Managers | $141.6K | 40 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $136.1K | 610 |
| Physician Assistants | $132.8K | 90 |
| Marketing Managers | $131.0K | 100 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $127.3K | 160 |
| Financial Managers | $127.1K | 250 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $125.2K | 250 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 7,710 | N/A |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,310 | $27.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,590 | $29.5K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 2,350 | $37.5K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,340 | $41.7K |
| Cashiers | 1,980 | $28.5K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,930 | $35.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,900 | $77.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,740 | $34.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,680 | $31.9K |
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.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farm And Home Management Educators | 48.19 | $63.1K |
| Agricultural Engineers | 45.47 | $85.4K |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 23.22 | $136.1K |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists And Technicians | 11.15 | $86.8K |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 8.19 | N/A |
| Crushing, Grinding, And Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 8.13 | $60.0K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 7.99 | N/A |
| Cutting, Punching, And Press Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 4.37 | $48.1K |
| Agricultural Technicians | 4.28 | $46.5K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.89 | $49.6K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
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.