Average Salaries in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Explore salaries across 199 occupations in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $62.8K, -4.5% 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: 199 occupations and 34,160 total jobs in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY.
How the metro compares
Wages in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Computer And Information Systems Managers. 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $148.5K | 40 |
| Sales Managers | $143.3K | 70 |
| Pharmacists | $143.3K | 80 |
| Lawyers | $137K | 70 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $133.9K | 70 |
| Physician Assistants | $128.9K | 60 |
| Managers, All Other | $126.4K | 80 |
| Financial Managers | $123.8K | 90 |
| Physicians, All Other | $121K | 50 |
| Software Developers | $119.4K | 80 |
Largest occupations in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,490 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,150 | $32.6K |
| Cashiers | 1,100 | $33K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,090 | $37.4K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 990 | $34.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 900 | $96.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 840 | $35.1K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 810 | $37.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 760 | $93.9K |
| Maintenance And Repair Workers, General | 760 | $49.1K |
What Watertown-Fort Drum, 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Motorboat Mechanics And Service Technicians | 13.76 | $49.2K |
| Word Processors And Typists | 11.71 | $45.8K |
| Paving, Surfacing, And Tamping Equipment Operators | 8.34 | $46.4K |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 7.67 | $49K |
| Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other | 7.22 | $52.5K |
| Power Plant Operators | 6.46 | $75.1K |
| Urban And Regional Planners | 3.67 | $86.7K |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3.58 | $34.6K |
| Procurement Clerks | 3.58 | $52.9K |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 3.53 | $37.8K |
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 Watertown-Fort Drum, 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.