StateRates

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton salaries

The median worker in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area earned $47,770 a year in 2024, about $22.97 an hour. That ranks #150 of the 391 metro areas published here, 3.5% below the national median.

Pennsylvania New Jersey

Median pay $47,770 $22.97 per hour
Vs national -3.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 370,040 wage and salary
Metro rank #150 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pays 1.6% less than Pennsylvania as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +6.9% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +49.8% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 3.23× 6,260 $49,110
Crossing Guards and Flaggers 2.59× 560 $36,790
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.5× 2,300 $47,220
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 2.34× 980 $47,510
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2.17× 15,530 $41,600
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders 2.14× 650 $55,370
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.12× 510 $51,600
Physicians, All Other 2.08× 1,570 $172,970
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists 2.01× 1,430 $31,810
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School 1.94× 760 $74,890
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1.9× 710 $48,970
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 1.84× 1,200 $33,020

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $217,550 $104.59 470
Nurse Anesthetists $216,780 $104.22 380
Family Medicine Physicians $215,010 $103.37 360
Physicians, All Other $172,970 $83.16 1,570
Architectural and Engineering Managers $166,700 $80.14 480
Computer and Information Systems Managers $162,100 $77.93 850
Financial Managers $137,630 $66.17 1,340
Pharmacists $137,600 $66.15 1,000
Marketing Managers $137,110 $65.92 630
Sales Managers $130,350 $62.67 1,260
Veterinarians $128,420 $61.74 220
Physician Assistants $128,130 $61.60 460
Nurse Practitioners $127,420 $61.26 750
Human Resources Managers $125,900 $60.53 380
Managers, All Other $125,570 $60.37 1,100
Engineers, All Other $125,220 $60.20 210
Industrial Production Managers $120,490 $57.93 730
Computer Network Architects $116,990 $56.24 200
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $113,910 n/a 760
Software Developers $112,340 $54.01 1,360
Electrical Engineers $109,590 $52.69 440
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $108,390 $52.11 370
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $107,840 $51.85 260
Construction Managers $107,610 $51.74 260
Mechanical Engineers $106,590 $51.24 1,130
Medical and Health Services Managers $106,310 $51.11 1,840
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $102,790 $49.42 630
Natural Sciences Managers $102,410 $49.24 200
Lawyers $102,240 $49.15 880
Industrial Engineers $101,770 $48.93 1,010
Computer Occupations, All Other $100,470 $48.30 520
Physical Therapists $99,880 $48.02 680
Administrative Services Managers $99,480 $47.83 360
Facilities Managers $99,460 $47.82 380
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $99,040 $47.61 350
Personal Financial Advisors $98,790 $47.49 360
Computer Systems Analysts $98,040 $47.13 670
Civil Engineers $97,430 $46.84 530
General and Operations Managers $97,330 $46.79 8,640
Registered Nurses $97,110 $46.69 10,510
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $96,990 n/a 640
Sales Engineers $96,890 $46.58 200
Occupational Therapists $96,290 $46.29 510
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $95,920 $46.12 200
Management Analysts $95,230 $45.79 470
Project Management Specialists $95,200 $45.77 1,630
Financial and Investment Analysts $94,950 $45.65 320
Speech-Language Pathologists $94,230 $45.30 550
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $93,500 $44.95 440
Data Scientists $93,220 $44.82 430
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $92,370 $44.41 310
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $91,930 $44.20 210
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $91,840 $44.16 290
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $86,920 $41.79 270
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $86,060 $41.37 1,460
Dental Hygienists $83,900 $40.34 570
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $83,800 $40.29 260
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $83,520 $40.15 200
School Psychologists $81,700 $39.28 200
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $81,640 $39.25 410

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 15,530 $41,600 $20.00
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 11,120 $29,870 $14.36
Registered Nurses 10,510 $97,110 $46.69
Retail Salespersons 8,790 $32,250 $15.51
General and Operations Managers 8,640 $97,330 $46.79
Stockers and Order Fillers 8,340 $37,610 $18.08
Fast Food and Counter Workers 8,120 $29,230 $14.05
Cashiers 7,050 $30,110 $14.48
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 6,730 $61,010 $29.33
Office Clerks, General 6,700 $44,290 $21.29
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 6,590 $36,560 $17.58
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 6,260 $49,110 $23.61
Customer Service Representatives 5,450 $40,560 $19.50
Waiters and Waitresses 5,290 $31,470 $15.13
Nursing Assistants 4,930 $39,430 $18.96
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 4,330 $77,850 n/a
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 4,150 $46,140 $22.18
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 4,050 $51,180 $24.61
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,950 $47,080 $22.63
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 3,670 $34,520 n/a

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?

The median across all occupations is $47,770, or $22.97 an hour, covering 370,040 wage and salary workers. The mean is $61,980, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton pay more than the rest of Pennsylvania?

No. The metro median of $47,770 is 1.6% below the Pennsylvania median of $48,550. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton?

Chief Executives ($217,550), Nurse Anesthetists ($216,780), Family Medicine Physicians ($215,010). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton unusually full of?

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, at 3.23× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.