Average Salaries in Lincoln, NE
Explore salaries across 437 occupations in Lincoln, NE. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $60.5K, -1.6% 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: 437 occupations and 173,300 total jobs in Lincoln, NE.
How the metro compares
Wages in Lincoln, NE track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Lincoln, NE 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 Lincoln, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Lincoln, NE
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $204.6K | 570 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, And Magistrates | $196.4K | 40 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $182.1K | 60 |
| Dentists, General | $155.1K | 170 |
| Pharmacists | $132.7K | 390 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $132.5K | 340 |
| Financial Managers | $127.3K | 920 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $126.5K | 1,050 |
| Chemical Engineers | $126.3K | 50 |
| Sales Managers | $123.6K | 500 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Lincoln, NE
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 5,450 | $29.3K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,700 | $92.9K |
| Registered Nurses | 4,190 | $84.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,050 | $29.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,970 | $86.9K |
| Cashiers | 3,420 | $29.6K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,920 | $38.1K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2,870 | $45.0K |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,810 | $37.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 2,720 | $35.9K |
What Lincoln, 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 Lincoln, NE than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Lincoln, NE
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Scientists | 20.95 | $62.4K |
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 7.32 | $53.8K |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 5.36 | $37.3K |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.63 | $82.9K |
| Chemical Equipment Operators And Tenders | 4.49 | $43.8K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 4.47 | $75.3K |
| Advertising Sales Agents | 4.46 | $83.8K |
| Chiropractors | 3.77 | $82.4K |
| Economists | 3.76 | $53.9K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 3.75 | $52.7K |
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 Lincoln, 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.