Home / Wages / Cleveland Cleveland salaries The median worker in the Cleveland, OH metro area earned $49,000 a year in 2024, about $23.56 an hour. That ranks #103 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1% below the national median.
Ohio
Median pay $49,000 $23.56 per hour
Vs national -1% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,036,780 wage and salary
Metro rank #103 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Cleveland pays 2% 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 +5.1% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +41.1% 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 Cleveland .
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 4.9× 5,830 $47,110 Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 4.09× 520 $48,670 Tool and Die Makers 3.51× 1,300 $63,480 Special Education Teachers, Middle School 3.16× 2,030 $76,640 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates 3.1× 530 $89,630 Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3.1× 2,700 $47,320 Physicians, All Other 3.04× 6,460 $217,540 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3.01× 1,420 $42,410 Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2.97× 950 $51,040 Pediatricians, General 2.9× 840 $210,130 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers 2.88× 550 $61,250 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.87× 3,370 $44,600
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Cleveland Occupation Median Hourly Employed Chief Executives $239,130 $114.97 870 Nurse Anesthetists $223,500 $107.45 460 Physicians, All Other $217,540 $104.59 6,460 29-1023 $211,410 $101.64 200 Pediatricians, General $210,130 $101.03 840 Computer and Information Systems Managers $163,220 $78.47 2,970 Architectural and Engineering Managers $153,150 $73.63 1,380 Dentists, General $146,900 $70.62 470 Aerospace Engineers $140,400 $67.50 530 Financial Managers $137,440 $66.08 6,060 Pharmacists $136,500 $65.62 2,910 Physician Assistants $131,310 $63.13 740 Purchasing Managers $130,820 $62.89 510 Marketing Managers $129,290 $62.16 1,810 Lawyers $128,460 $61.76 5,220 Nurse Practitioners $128,300 $61.68 3,660 Human Resources Managers $128,140 $61.61 1,440 Veterinarians $128,130 $61.60 470 Sales Managers $127,670 $61.38 4,250 Managers, All Other $126,660 $60.89 1,830 Medical and Health Services Managers $126,530 $60.83 4,640 Optometrists $125,610 $60.39 240 Computer Network Architects $125,280 $60.23 860 Engineers, All Other $124,960 $60.08 1,050 Public Relations Managers $124,480 $59.85 220 Database Architects $122,050 $58.68 470 Actuaries $120,870 $58.11 320 Commercial Pilots $120,280 n/a 670 Chemical Engineers $116,370 $55.95 200 Materials Engineers $109,880 $52.83 280 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $109,310 $52.55 550 Information Security Analysts $105,990 $50.96 910 Fundraising Managers $105,520 $50.73 310 Industrial Production Managers $103,720 $49.86 2,560 Software Developers $102,790 $49.42 8,930 Physical Therapists $101,830 $48.96 1,880 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $101,430 $48.76 1,190 Computer Occupations, All Other $101,140 $48.62 1,060 Occupational Therapists $100,790 $48.46 1,250 Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $100,080 $48.12 280 Facilities Managers $99,590 $47.88 1,040 Electrical Engineers $99,330 $47.76 1,150 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $99,320 $47.75 1,500 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $99,310 n/a 2,110 Industrial Engineers $98,760 $47.48 3,730 Web Developers $98,420 $47.32 400 General and Operations Managers $97,220 $46.74 29,350 Computer Systems Analysts $97,190 $46.73 2,980 Personal Financial Advisors $96,790 $46.53 2,440 Data Scientists $96,470 $46.38 1,160 Financial and Investment Analysts $95,690 $46.01 1,910 Financial Risk Specialists $95,300 $45.82 390 Administrative Services Managers $94,660 $45.51 1,490 Computer Programmers $94,520 $45.44 260 Construction Managers $94,220 $45.30 2,950 Mechanical Engineers $93,990 $45.19 2,400 Web and Digital Interface Designers $93,960 $45.17 360 Project Management Specialists $93,880 $45.14 6,810 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $93,080 $44.75 3,110 Speech-Language Pathologists $92,740 $44.59 1,480
Where most people work Largest occupations in Cleveland by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly General and Operations Managers 29,350 $97,220 $46.74 Registered Nurses 28,100 $81,970 $39.41 Fast Food and Counter Workers 27,850 $28,240 $13.58 Retail Salespersons 22,720 $30,620 $14.72 Stockers and Order Fillers 22,240 $37,020 $17.80 Cashiers 20,540 $28,970 $13.93 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 18,310 $31,020 $14.91 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 17,960 $38,940 $18.72 Office Clerks, General 17,720 $44,140 $21.22 Customer Service Representatives 15,780 $43,960 $21.14 Waiters and Waitresses 14,410 $35,710 $17.17 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 14,390 $35,150 $16.90 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 14,320 $42,990 $20.67 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 12,660 $57,090 $27.45 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 12,380 $49,390 $23.75 Nursing Assistants 12,310 $38,060 $18.30 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 11,730 $74,110 $35.63 Accountants and Auditors 11,530 $78,360 $37.67 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 9,880 $45,960 $22.10 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 9,560 $47,720 $22.94
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 Columbus 1,085,150 workers $49,510 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek 373,320 workers $48,580 Cincinnati 1,092,300 workers $48,490 Akron 320,080 workers $47,530 Toledo 291,660 workers $47,320 Lima 49,640 workers $46,430 Cleveland pay: common questions What is the average salary in Cleveland? The median across all occupations is $49,000 , or $23.56 an hour, covering 1,036,780 wage and salary workers. The mean is $64,730, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Cleveland pay more than the rest of Ohio? Yes. The metro median of $49,000 is 2% 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 Cleveland? Chief Executives ($239,130), Nurse Anesthetists ($223,500), Physicians, All Other ($217,540). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Cleveland unusually full of? Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators, at 4.9× 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.