Average Salaries in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Explore salaries across 734 occupations in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $74.3K, +12.9% 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: 734 occupations and 2,880,550 total jobs in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
How the metro compares
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Radiologists. 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $452.9K | 550 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $380.8K | 310 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $365.8K | 90 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $341.8K | 130 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $320K | 250 |
| Orthodontists | $311.2K | N/A |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $294.4K | 1,790 |
| Chief Executives | $292.8K | 4,120 |
| Psychiatrists | $279.4K | 640 |
| Physicians, All Other | $245.8K | 11,380 |
Largest occupations in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 158,280 | $29.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 73,790 | $101.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 69,080 | $32.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 68,730 | $121.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 63,990 | $34.8K |
| Cashiers | 54,100 | $33.1K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 51,100 | $43.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 45,770 | $36.8K |
| Office Clerks, General | 45,660 | $47.1K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 41,900 | $36.6K |
What Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemists And Biophysicists | 4.84 | $134.1K |
| Shampooers | 4.76 | $32.6K |
| Therapists, All Other | 3.16 | $81.2K |
| Brokerage Clerks | 2.99 | $61K |
| Chemists | 2.93 | $95.4K |
| Entertainment Attendants And Related Workers, All Other | 2.86 | $35.1K |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 2.72 | $108.2K |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2.72 | $172.9K |
| Parking Enforcement Workers | 2.71 | $46.7K |
| Manicurists And Pedicurists | 2.57 | $31.2K |
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
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.