StateRates

Athens-Clarke County salaries

The median worker in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area earned $39,340 a year in 2024, about $18.91 an hour. That ranks #363 of the 391 metro areas published here, 20.5% below the national median.

Georgia

Median pay $39,340 $18.91 per hour
Vs national -20.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 95,250 wage and salary
Metro rank #363 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Athens-Clarke County pays 16.3% less than Georgia 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.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Animal Caretakers 2.97× 510 $31,320
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 2× 1,900 $38,220
Medical Assistants 1.92× 940 $38,670
Childcare Workers 1.89× 610 $25,860
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1.83× 1,580 $74,480
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1.74× 1,210 $57,400
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1.73× 4,040 $24,530
Receptionists and Information Clerks 1.67× 990 $34,460
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1.64× 1,210 $36,740
Computer User Support Specialists 1.42× 610 $52,250
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 1.41× 520 $61,270
Waiters and Waitresses 1.37× 1,950 $17,810

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Athens-Clarke County
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Medical and Health Services Managers $140,640 $67.61 210
Financial Managers $127,380 $61.24 200
Pharmacists $127,090 $61.10 270
Nurse Practitioners $123,250 $59.25 280
Managers, All Other $95,720 $46.02 520
Lawyers $82,060 $39.45 220
Registered Nurses $79,940 $38.43 2,180
General and Operations Managers $77,220 $37.13 1,780
Project Management Specialists $77,070 $37.05 210
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $74,480 n/a 1,580
Accountants and Auditors $73,940 $35.55 520
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $67,500 $32.45 260
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $66,230 $31.84 350
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $64,630 n/a 500
Social Science Research Assistants $64,400 $30.96 310
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,260 $30.89 430
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $64,190 $30.86 570
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $63,350 $30.46 210
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $62,430 $30.02 440
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $61,650 $29.64 390
Teachers and Instructors, All Other $61,330 n/a 400
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $61,270 $29.46 520
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,030 n/a 360
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $59,540 $28.62 760
Healthcare Social Workers $58,640 $28.19 230
Electricians $58,340 $28.05 380
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $57,400 $27.60 1,210
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $57,150 $27.48 530
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $56,920 $27.36 500
Insurance Sales Agents $56,230 $27.03 220
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $54,870 $26.38 340
Human Resources Specialists $54,240 $26.08 390
Postal Service Mail Carriers $53,160 $25.56 210
Computer User Support Specialists $52,250 $25.12 610
Training and Development Specialists $51,850 $24.93 240
Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers $50,380 $24.22 310
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $49,440 $23.77 470
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $49,140 $23.63 960
Self-Enrichment Teachers $48,550 $23.34 220
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $48,180 $23.16 280
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $47,860 $23.01 300
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $47,650 $22.91 500
Bus Drivers, School $47,330 $22.75 290
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $46,920 $22.56 370
Billing and Posting Clerks $45,260 $21.76 260
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $45,050 $21.66 730
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $42,440 $20.40 220
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $42,360 $20.37 200
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $42,020 $20.20 420
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $40,400 $19.42 320
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders $40,140 $19.30 260
Office Clerks, General $40,050 $19.26 2,040
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $39,930 $19.20 550
Light Truck Drivers $39,890 $19.18 560
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $39,440 $18.96 760
Production Workers, All Other $39,260 $18.88 300
Medical Assistants $38,670 $18.59 940
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $38,220 $18.37 1,900
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $36,900 $17.74 1,720
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $36,880 $17.73 360

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Athens-Clarke County by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,040 $24,530 $11.79
Retail Salespersons 3,020 $27,830 $13.38
Registered Nurses 2,180 $79,940 $38.43
Office Clerks, General 2,040 $40,050 $19.26
Waiters and Waitresses 1,950 $17,810 $8.56
Cashiers 1,950 $27,330 $13.14
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,900 $38,220 $18.37
General and Operations Managers 1,780 $77,220 $37.13
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,720 $36,900 $17.74
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,630 $33,630 $16.17
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,580 $74,480 n/a
Customer Service Representatives 1,390 $35,060 $16.86
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1,210 $57,400 $27.60
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1,210 $36,740 $17.66
Cooks, Restaurant 1,070 $30,990 $14.90
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 1,070 $36,210 $17.41
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,060 $30,810 $14.81
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 1,030 $27,510 $13.23
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,030 $33,750 $16.23
Receptionists and Information Clerks 990 $34,460 $16.57

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 Georgia metro areas

Athens-Clarke County pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Athens-Clarke County?

The median across all occupations is $39,340, or $18.91 an hour, covering 95,250 wage and salary workers. The mean is $54,230, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Athens-Clarke County pay more than the rest of Georgia?

No. The metro median of $39,340 is 16.3% below the Georgia median of $47,020. 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 Athens-Clarke County?

Medical and Health Services Managers ($140,640), Financial Managers ($127,380), Pharmacists ($127,090). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Athens-Clarke County unusually full of?

Animal Caretakers, at 2.97× 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.