Average Salaries in Rochester, MN
Explore salaries across 319 occupations in Rochester, MN. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $69.5K, +13.0% 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: 319 occupations and 104,570 total jobs in Rochester, MN.
How the metro compares
Rochester, MN 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.
Rochester, MN is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Dentists, General. 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 Rochester, MN
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 Rochester, MN
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | $201.5K | 100 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $175.6K | 120 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $171.0K | 390 |
| Marketing Managers | $168.7K | 130 |
| Computer Network Architects | $163.9K | 100 |
| Chief Executives | $163.5K | 200 |
| Purchasing Managers | $163.3K | 70 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing, Technical And Scientific Products | $156.9K | 180 |
| Human Resources Managers | $154.7K | 110 |
| Pharmacists | $154.6K | 410 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Rochester, MN
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 5,510 | $102.6K |
| Medical Secretaries And Administrative Assistants | 3,940 | $48.1K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 3,920 | $36.9K |
| Cashiers | 2,670 | $33.8K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,620 | $35.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,570 | $30.7K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,990 | $82.5K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,790 | $48.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,700 | $23.6K |
| Software Developers | 1,630 | $130.5K |
What Rochester, MN 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 Rochester, MN than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Rochester, MN
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | 11.00 | N/A |
| Cardiovascular Technologists And Technicians | 8.13 | $47.2K |
| Social Workers, All Other | 7.58 | $78.8K |
| Psychiatrists | 6.22 | N/A |
| Medical Secretaries And Administrative Assistants | 6.01 | $48.1K |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 5.91 | N/A |
| Gambling Service Workers, All Other | 5.87 | $30.3K |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | 5.64 | N/A |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5.62 | $122.8K |
| Health Information Technologists And Medical Registrars | 4.64 | $74.8K |
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 Rochester, MN
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.