StateRates

Cincinnati salaries

The median worker in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area earned $48,490 a year in 2024, about $23.31 an hour. That ranks #119 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2% below the national median.

Ohio Kentucky Indiana

Median pay $48,490 $23.31 per hour
Vs national -2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,092,300 wage and salary
Metro rank #119 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Cincinnati pays 0.9% more than Ohio 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 +3.2% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +41.2% 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 Cincinnati.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers 4.46× 690 $127,490
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders 3.65× 530 $50,480
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians 3.26× 1,690 $75,090
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 3.01× 1,140 $59,570
Aerospace Engineers 2.75× 1,340 $137,420
Pediatricians, General 2.63× 800 $210,910
Aircraft Service Attendants 2.61× 500 $37,830
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 2.54× 500 $40,680
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.49× 2,290 $47,690
Insurance Underwriters 2.37× 1,810 $81,190
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.22× 750 $46,390
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders 2.17× 1,960 $58,910

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Cincinnati
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Family Medicine Physicians $235,230 $113.09 390
29-1214 $220,570 $106.04 350
Chief Executives $212,290 $102.06 1,030
Pediatricians, General $210,910 $101.40 800
29-1218 $209,230 $100.59 280
Nurse Anesthetists $204,400 $98.27 600
Dentists, General $204,240 $98.19 640
Computer and Information Systems Managers $166,230 $79.92 3,160
Natural Sciences Managers $164,270 $78.98 300
Purchasing Managers $141,620 $68.09 710
Financial Managers $140,750 $67.67 6,110
Marketing Managers $139,920 $67.27 1,990
Aerospace Engineers $137,420 $66.07 1,340
Pharmacists $135,330 $65.06 2,540
Managers, All Other $133,760 $64.31 2,100
Optometrists $133,240 $64.06 310
Database Architects $130,400 $62.69 490
Human Resources Managers $130,380 $62.68 1,470
Nurse Practitioners $130,100 $62.55 2,680
Sales Managers $129,540 $62.28 4,810
Computer Network Architects $128,910 $61.98 1,240
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $127,490 $61.29 690
Lawyers $126,530 $60.83 3,890
Physician Assistants $125,260 $60.22 880
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $123,120 $59.19 350
Veterinarians $121,970 $58.64 580
Industrial Production Managers $121,070 $58.21 2,780
Computer Programmers $119,900 $57.65 550
Commercial Pilots $119,410 n/a 340
Training and Development Managers $117,680 $56.58 200
Chemical Engineers $115,970 $55.76 270
Environmental Engineers $115,070 $55.32 200
Software Developers $113,240 $54.44 9,160
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other $111,230 $53.47 230
Engineers, All Other $109,960 $52.87 720
Information Security Analysts $108,000 $51.92 1,210
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $106,820 $51.36 540
Operations Research Analysts $105,840 $50.89 500
Public Relations Managers $105,410 $50.68 270
Medical and Health Services Managers $105,360 $50.65 4,550
Fundraising Managers $104,420 $50.20 220
Actuaries $104,070 $50.04 360
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $103,990 $50.00 570
Power Plant Operators $102,950 $49.49 200
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $102,790 n/a 300
Materials Engineers $102,530 $49.29 300
Industrial Engineers $102,510 $49.29 4,990
Materials Scientists $102,450 $49.26 210
Electrical Engineers $102,030 $49.05 1,390
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,600 n/a 2,190
Computer Systems Analysts $101,270 $48.69 3,220
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $100,990 $48.55 820
Mechanical Engineers $100,580 $48.36 3,990
Construction Managers $100,570 $48.35 2,540
Database Administrators $100,510 $48.32 380
Physical Therapists $100,070 $48.11 1,700
Financial Risk Specialists $99,620 $47.89 390
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $99,520 $47.84 640
Data Scientists $99,350 $47.77 1,510
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,010 $47.60 1,760

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Cincinnati by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 32,880 $28,790 $13.84
General and Operations Managers 30,220 $97,760 $47.00
Stockers and Order Fillers 28,120 $37,010 $17.79
Registered Nurses 27,870 $81,790 $39.32
Retail Salespersons 25,690 $30,690 $14.76
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 23,020 $40,640 $19.54
Cashiers 21,300 $28,650 $13.77
Customer Service Representatives 20,590 $40,700 $19.57
Waiters and Waitresses 18,300 $36,290 $17.45
Office Clerks, General 15,970 $43,440 $20.89
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 15,330 $59,010 $28.37
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 15,030 $35,120 $16.89
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 14,810 $31,990 $15.38
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 12,550 $75,980 $36.53
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 12,310 $40,750 $19.59
Cooks, Restaurant 11,340 $34,870 $16.77
Nursing Assistants 11,280 $39,150 $18.82
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 11,180 $52,310 $25.15
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 10,660 $37,270 $17.92
Accountants and Auditors 9,960 $78,860 $37.91

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 Ohio metro areas

Cincinnati pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Cincinnati?

The median across all occupations is $48,490, or $23.31 an hour, covering 1,092,300 wage and salary workers. The mean is $64,020, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Cincinnati pay more than the rest of Ohio?

Yes. The metro median of $48,490 is 0.9% above the Ohio median of $48,060. 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 Cincinnati?

Family Medicine Physicians ($235,230), 29-1214 ($220,570), Chief Executives ($212,290). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Cincinnati unusually full of?

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, at 4.46× 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.