StateRates

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson salaries

The median worker in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earned $57,340 a year in 2024, about $27.57 an hour. That ranks #25 of the 391 metro areas published here, 15.8% above the national median.

Maryland

Median pay $57,340 $27.57 per hour
Vs national +15.8% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,340,750 wage and salary
Metro rank #25 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays 1.2% less than Maryland 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 +2.0% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +25.5% 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Therapists, All Other 5.44× 910 $55,210
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other 4.07× 1,310 $73,900
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other 3.97× 6,770 $49,850
Biological Technicians 3.79× 2,510 $49,110
Computer Network Support Specialists 3.7× 4,720 $104,130
Legal Support Workers, All Other 3.34× 1,380 $78,560
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 3.3× 1,060 $125,820
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives 3.21× 4,280 $119,290
Counselors, All Other 3.15× 910 $57,060
Budget Analysts 3.14× 1,290 $89,470
Computer and Information Research Scientists 3.1× 1,040 $152,780
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other 2.95× 2,300 $36,320

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Physicians, All Other $226,570 $108.93 3,420
Nurse Anesthetists $209,340 $100.64 420
Pediatricians, General $187,190 $90.00 280
Dentists, General $186,530 $89.68 1,090
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $181,320 $87.17 200
Computer and Information Systems Managers $173,130 $83.24 7,380
Architectural and Engineering Managers $163,970 $78.83 2,390
Physicists $162,490 $78.12 480
Aerospace Engineers $161,580 $77.68 1,240
Optometrists $156,610 $75.29 430
Financial Managers $155,270 $74.65 9,530
Computer Hardware Engineers $153,340 $73.72 840
Natural Sciences Managers $153,320 $73.71 980
Computer and Information Research Scientists $152,780 $73.45 1,040
Chemical Engineers $151,360 $72.77 210
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $149,410 $71.83 2,080
Marketing Managers $148,190 $71.24 3,620
Human Resources Managers $147,070 $70.71 2,000
Computer Network Architects $143,260 $68.88 2,440
Managers, All Other $141,540 $68.05 7,950
Lawyers $139,380 $67.01 8,450
Purchasing Managers $137,560 $66.14 1,210
Software Developers $137,350 $66.04 16,620
Information Security Analysts $136,050 $65.41 4,370
Pharmacists $135,550 $65.17 2,960
Physician Assistants $134,100 $64.47 1,710
Computer Occupations, All Other $133,680 $64.27 9,110
Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other $133,680 $64.27 240
Database Architects $132,750 $63.82 500
Psychologists, All Other $132,060 $63.49 270
Medical and Health Services Managers $130,990 $62.98 7,140
Actuaries $129,360 $62.19 320
Sales Managers $129,210 $62.12 4,070
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other $128,940 $61.99 540
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $127,940 $61.51 3,270
Nurse Practitioners $127,040 $61.08 3,670
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $126,320 n/a 3,290
Fundraising Managers $126,120 $60.64 470
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $125,820 $60.49 1,060
Economists $125,630 $60.40 200
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $125,630 $60.40 490
Materials Engineers $124,990 $60.09 270
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $124,730 $59.96 260
Construction Managers $123,930 $59.58 2,830
Data Scientists $123,090 $59.18 1,310
Advertising and Promotions Managers $122,110 $58.71 280
Public Relations Managers $122,070 $58.69 820
Management Analysts $121,870 $58.59 8,520
Industrial Production Managers $121,560 $58.44 1,160
Database Administrators $119,990 $57.69 1,100
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $119,300 $57.36 550
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $119,290 $57.35 4,280
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $119,150 $57.29 4,270
Engineers, All Other $115,710 $55.63 2,240
Web Developers $115,650 $55.60 1,030
Administrative Services Managers $115,250 $55.41 2,800
Personal Financial Advisors $114,490 $55.05 3,540
Electrical Engineers $111,470 $53.59 2,340
Training and Development Managers $110,440 $53.10 670
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other $107,580 $51.72 1,070

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
General and Operations Managers 42,480 $103,740 $49.88
Retail Salespersons 35,170 $33,700 $16.20
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 30,060 $47,050 $22.62
Registered Nurses 29,030 $97,140 $46.70
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 26,380 $40,590 $19.51
Cashiers 24,540 $31,570 $15.18
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 22,820 $36,700 $17.64
Stockers and Order Fillers 21,540 $39,380 $18.93
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 20,060 $35,530 $17.08
Fast Food and Counter Workers 19,600 $31,200 $15.00
Customer Service Representatives 19,580 $41,150 $19.79
Waiters and Waitresses 19,270 $34,770 $16.72
Software Developers 16,620 $137,350 $66.04
Project Management Specialists 16,220 $102,750 $49.40
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 16,020 $74,880 n/a
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 15,840 $96,300 $46.30
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 15,660 $72,540 $34.87
Security Guards 15,310 $37,440 $18.00
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 14,210 $35,450 n/a
Accountants and Auditors 12,810 $83,670 $40.23

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 Maryland metro areas

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?

The median across all occupations is $57,340, or $27.57 an hour, covering 1,340,750 wage and salary workers. The mean is $74,770, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pay more than the rest of Maryland?

No. The metro median of $57,340 is 1.2% below the Maryland median of $58,050. 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?

Physicians, All Other ($226,570), Nurse Anesthetists ($209,340), Pediatricians, General ($187,190). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Baltimore-Columbia-Towson unusually full of?

Therapists, All Other, at 5.44× 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.