Average Salaries in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
Explore salaries across 288 occupations in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.7K, -6.1% 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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 288 occupations and 69,160 total jobs in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD.
How the metro compares
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. 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 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
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 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $300K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $220.6K | 130 |
| Dentists, General | $191.3K | 60 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $165K | 50 |
| Pharmacists | $139.6K | 120 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $135.6K | 90 |
| Financial Managers | $134.5K | 230 |
| Sales Managers | $132.2K | 120 |
| Physician Assistants | $131K | 70 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $129.1K | 150 |
Largest occupations in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,820 | $51.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,220 | $30.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,060 | $29.1K |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 1,710 | $46.4K |
| Cashiers | 1,700 | $29.5K |
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 1,700 | $47.6K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 1,660 | $42.8K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,600 | $75.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,330 | $35.7K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,250 | $90.2K |
What Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 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 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 54.67 | $46.4K |
| Slaughterers And Meat Packers | 33.22 | $49.6K |
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 24.17 | $47.6K |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators And Tenders | 12.37 | $51.6K |
| Food Science Technicians | 6.83 | $50.7K |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 6.70 | $49.5K |
| Food And Tobacco Roasting, Baking, And Drying Machine Operators And Tenders | 6.36 | $52.7K |
| Food Scientists And Technologists | 6.35 | $78.3K |
| Crushing, Grinding, And Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 5.45 | $58.7K |
| Machine Feeders And Offbearers | 4.98 | $44.4K |
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 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
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.