Average Salaries in Rochester, NY
Explore salaries across 569 occupations in Rochester, NY. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $72.8K, +10.7% 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: 569 occupations and 479,690 total jobs in Rochester, NY.
How the metro compares
Rochester, NY 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, NY is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Emergency 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 Rochester, NY
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 Rochester, NY
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $440.3K | 180 |
| Cardiologists | $415K | 90 |
| Anesthesiologists | $366K | 200 |
| Dermatologists | $336.3K | 40 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $321.1K | 120 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $286.2K | 140 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $269.6K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $237.2K | 370 |
| Psychiatrists | $233.6K | 130 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $215.3K | 190 |
Largest occupations in Rochester, NY
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 17,070 | $35.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,440 | $34.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 12,340 | $86.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 11,310 | $33.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 9,620 | $37.9K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,520 | $37.2K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,290 | $44.7K |
| General And Operations Managers | 9,230 | $103.7K |
| Cashiers | 8,900 | $33.9K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 8,090 | $36.2K |
What Rochester, NY 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, NY than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Rochester, NY
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 8.34 | $45.4K |
| Word Processors And Typists | 5.90 | $43.5K |
| School Bus Monitors | 5.19 | $34.7K |
| Music Directors And Composers | 4.59 | $84.1K |
| Model Makers, Metal And Plastic | 4.26 | $76.5K |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, And Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.20 | N/A |
| Models | 3.84 | $208K |
| Historians | 3.80 | $46.6K |
| Directors, Religious Activities And Education | 3.48 | $44.3K |
| Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.00 | $98.7K |
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 Rochester, NY
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.