StateRates

Erie salaries

The median worker in the Erie, PA metro area earned $43,410 a year in 2024, about $20.87 an hour. That ranks #306 of the 391 metro areas published here, 12.3% below the national median.

Pennsylvania

Median pay $43,410 $20.87 per hour
Vs national -12.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 119,610 wage and salary
Metro rank #306 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Erie pays 10.6% less than Pennsylvania 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
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 7.13× 860 $37,330
Machinists 3.2× 740 $48,940
Mechanical Engineers 2.56× 570 $103,850
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2.12× 6,550 $27,790
Physicians, All Other 2.08× 510 $78,210
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2.05× 2,320 $43,620
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 1.96× 670 $49,160
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 1.93× 640 $48,310
Child, Family, and School Social Workers 1.89× 560 $49,660
Social and Human Service Assistants 1.85× 610 $39,250
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 1.7× 840 $59,180
Bartenders 1.69× 980 $21,950

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Erie
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Pharmacists $130,680 $62.83 250
Computer and Information Systems Managers $126,520 $60.83 290
Nurse Practitioners $122,130 $58.71 240
Sales Managers $112,960 $54.31 260
Financial Managers $109,120 $52.46 460
Lawyers $104,300 $50.15 260
Mechanical Engineers $103,850 $49.93 570
Managers, All Other $101,280 $48.69 220
Industrial Production Managers $101,050 $48.58 260
Software Developers $98,480 $47.34 360
Medical and Health Services Managers $95,680 $46.00 530
Project Management Specialists $95,180 $45.76 470
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $94,290 $45.33 610
Physical Therapists $91,870 $44.17 230
Management Analysts $84,990 $40.86 220
Industrial Engineers $83,970 $40.37 420
General and Operations Managers $82,390 $39.61 2,710
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $78,840 $37.90 440
Physicians, All Other $78,210 $37.60 510
Computer Systems Analysts $78,060 $37.53 370
Registered Nurses $77,950 $37.48 3,030
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $73,110 n/a 730
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $68,440 $32.91 420
Electricians $64,980 $31.24 380
Accountants and Auditors $64,840 $31.17 910
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $64,720 $31.12 280
Social and Community Service Managers $64,620 $31.07 200
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $64,160 $30.84 300
Instructional Coordinators $63,870 $30.71 210
Compliance Officers $63,420 $30.49 210
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $62,290 n/a 990
Insurance Sales Agents $62,280 $29.94 280
Tool and Die Makers $62,110 $29.86 240
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term $61,560 $29.60 250
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,090 n/a 700
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $60,900 $29.28 900
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $60,880 $29.27 890
Training and Development Specialists $60,470 $29.07 210
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $60,450 $29.06 310
Human Resources Specialists $60,280 $28.98 570
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $59,560 $28.63 390
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $59,180 $28.45 840
Food Service Managers $59,120 $28.42 210
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $59,050 $28.39 410
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $58,260 $28.01 240
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $58,140 $27.95 1,160
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $57,880 $27.83 390
Correctional Officers and Jailers $57,510 $27.65 420
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $56,750 $27.28 240
Postal Service Mail Carriers $56,740 $27.28 320
Carpenters $56,540 $27.19 500
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs $53,000 $25.48 370
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $53,000 $25.48 250
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $51,420 $24.72 200
Computer User Support Specialists $51,380 $24.70 450
Highway Maintenance Workers $50,280 $24.17 210
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,280 $24.17 1,350
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators $49,990 $24.03 420
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,660 $23.88 560
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $49,160 $23.63 670

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Erie by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 6,550 $27,790 $13.36
Retail Salespersons 3,510 $28,340 $13.62
Fast Food and Counter Workers 3,360 $27,450 $13.20
Registered Nurses 3,030 $77,950 $37.48
General and Operations Managers 2,710 $82,390 $39.61
Cashiers 2,460 $28,070 $13.50
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,320 $43,620 $20.97
Office Clerks, General 2,190 $39,680 $19.08
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,990 $35,270 $16.96
Waiters and Waitresses 1,830 $27,560 $13.25
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,760 $36,620 $17.60
Customer Service Representatives 1,750 $38,700 $18.61
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,740 $31,410 $15.10
Nursing Assistants 1,680 $37,850 $18.20
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,350 $50,280 $24.17
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,330 $38,970 $18.74
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,320 $45,160 $21.71
Cooks, Restaurant 1,310 $30,830 $14.82
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,160 $58,140 $27.95
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 1,050 $28,970 n/a

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 Pennsylvania metro areas

Erie pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Erie?

The median across all occupations is $43,410, or $20.87 an hour, covering 119,610 wage and salary workers. The mean is $53,810, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Erie pay more than the rest of Pennsylvania?

No. The metro median of $43,410 is 10.6% below the Pennsylvania median of $48,550. 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 Erie?

Pharmacists ($130,680), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($126,520), Nurse Practitioners ($122,130). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Erie unusually full of?

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, at 7.13× 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.