StateRates

Charleston salaries

The median worker in the Charleston, WV metro area earned $45,170 a year in 2024, about $21.71 an hour. That ranks #254 of the 391 metro areas published here, 8.7% below the national median.

West Virginia

Median pay $45,170 $21.71 per hour
Vs national -8.7% U.S. $49,500
Workers 106,820 wage and salary
Metro rank #254 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Charleston pays 4.3% more than West Virginia 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
Cooks, Fast Food 5.22× 2,410 $22,950
Security Guards 3.68× 3,160 $37,220
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 2.66× 860 $52,000
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria 2.25× 700 $28,600
Child, Family, and School Social Workers 2.14× 570 $48,220
Bus Drivers, School 1.98× 530 $30,110
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 1.8× 790 $50,370
Registered Nurses 1.79× 4,060 $81,130
Managers, All Other 1.71× 750 $114,050
Pharmacy Technicians 1.64× 550 $38,200
Nursing Assistants 1.45× 1,400 $34,880
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1.41× 830 $28,240

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Charleston
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Nurse Anesthetists $236,820 $113.86 270
Pharmacists $132,930 $63.91 410
Medical and Health Services Managers $123,510 $59.38 350
Nurse Practitioners $119,780 $57.59 360
Managers, All Other $114,050 $54.83 750
Financial Managers $106,850 $51.37 410
Sales Managers $101,790 $48.94 210
Software Developers $100,020 $48.09 330
Environmental Engineers $99,830 $47.99 210
Computer Systems Analysts $99,050 $47.62 330
Computer Occupations, All Other $98,550 $47.38 490
Management Analysts $91,470 $43.97 230
Project Management Specialists $89,760 $43.16 360
General and Operations Managers $85,620 $41.16 2,330
Civil Engineers $84,460 $40.61 320
Registered Nurses $81,130 $39.00 4,060
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,380 $38.16 740
Instructional Coordinators $74,720 $35.92 310
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $69,370 $33.35 300
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $69,030 $33.19 320
Accountants and Auditors $67,600 $32.50 970
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $64,190 $30.86 590
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $64,170 $30.85 360
Respiratory Therapists $63,970 $30.76 220
General Internal Medicine Physicians $63,290 $30.43 390
Compliance Officers $63,270 $30.42 460
Dental Hygienists $63,100 $30.34 240
Electricians $62,650 $30.12 560
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $62,300 $29.95 360
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $61,720 $29.67 970
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $60,390 $29.03 380
Postal Service Mail Carriers $58,390 $28.07 240
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $58,140 $27.95 490
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $57,860 $27.82 230
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $57,710 $27.74 360
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators $57,490 $27.64 390
Computer User Support Specialists $57,260 $27.53 440
Human Resources Specialists $56,820 $27.32 540
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $56,800 $27.31 530
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $56,460 $27.14 310
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $55,040 $26.46 1,170
Training and Development Specialists $54,910 $26.40 220
Insurance Sales Agents $54,790 $26.34 310
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $53,770 n/a 370
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists $52,150 $25.07 210
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $52,000 $25.00 860
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $51,100 $24.57 1,670
Food Service Managers $50,920 $24.48 210
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $50,720 $24.39 300
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $50,690 $24.37 250
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $50,610 n/a 730
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $50,370 $24.22 790
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $50,250 $24.16 450
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers $50,140 $24.11 310
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $49,460 $23.78 440
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $49,410 $23.75 310
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $49,190 $23.65 320
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $48,980 n/a 240
Loan Officers $48,510 $23.32 210
Carpenters $48,470 $23.30 340

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Charleston by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Registered Nurses 4,060 $81,130 $39.00
Security Guards 3,160 $37,220 $17.89
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,940 $27,310 $13.13
Retail Salespersons 2,490 $27,650 $13.29
Cooks, Fast Food 2,410 $22,950 $11.03
General and Operations Managers 2,330 $85,620 $41.16
Cashiers 2,150 $23,580 $11.34
Office Clerks, General 1,780 $35,560 $17.10
Customer Service Representatives 1,680 $37,770 $18.16
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,670 $51,100 $24.57
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,590 $40,480 $19.46
Nursing Assistants 1,400 $34,880 $16.77
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,390 $29,790 $14.32
Waiters and Waitresses 1,250 $36,310 $17.46
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,240 $35,960 $17.29
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,210 $30,870 $14.84
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,180 $40,900 $19.66
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,170 $55,040 $26.46
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1,140 $42,160 $20.27
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1,020 $37,750 $18.15

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 West Virginia metro areas

Charleston pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Charleston?

The median across all occupations is $45,170, or $21.71 an hour, covering 106,820 wage and salary workers. The mean is $56,960, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Charleston pay more than the rest of West Virginia?

Yes. The metro median of $45,170 is 4.3% above the West Virginia median of $43,320. 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 Charleston?

Nurse Anesthetists ($236,820), Pharmacists ($132,930), Medical and Health Services Managers ($123,510). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Charleston unusually full of?

Cooks, Fast Food, at 5.22× 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.