Average Salaries in Worcester, MA
Explore salaries across 488 occupations in Worcester, MA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $79.3K, +20.6% 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: 488 occupations and 338,800 total jobs in Worcester, MA.
How the metro compares
Worcester, MA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Worcester, MA is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Surgeons, 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 Worcester, MA
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 Worcester, MA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | $517.2K | 150 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $391.9K | 60 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $387.8K | 30 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $369.9K | 180 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $336.4K | 60 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $319.4K | 170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $304.4K | N/A |
| Psychiatrists | $244.2K | 110 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $229.7K | 230 |
| Pediatricians, General | $213.2K | 200 |
Largest occupations in Worcester, MA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 14,720 | $40.9K |
| Registered Nurses | 10,070 | $100.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 8,830 | $36.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 8,800 | $34.6K |
| General And Operations Managers | 7,910 | $111.9K |
| Cashiers | 6,930 | $34.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 6,360 | $37.3K |
| Nursing Assistants | 5,250 | $45.7K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 5,050 | $39.2K |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,920 | $46.9K |
What Worcester, MA 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 Worcester, MA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Worcester, MA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemists And Biophysicists | 13.90 | $125.4K |
| Power Distributors And Dispatchers | 7.59 | $102.3K |
| Bioengineers And Biomedical Engineers | 6.43 | $104.1K |
| Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | 6.02 | $81.9K |
| Chemical Engineers | 5.50 | $104.1K |
| Biological Technicians | 4.71 | $69.7K |
| Materials Scientists | 4.34 | $151.1K |
| Materials Engineers | 4.27 | $114.1K |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | 3.97 | $54.3K |
| Residential Advisors | 3.69 | $47K |
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 Worcester, MA
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.