The median worker in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area earned $48,210 a year in 2024, about $23.18 an hour. That ranks #130 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2.6% below the national median.
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays 2.7% more than Indiana 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 +35.2% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood.
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.
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pay: common questions
What is the average salary in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The median across all occupations is $48,210, or $23.18 an hour, covering 1,096,770 wage and salary workers. The mean is $62,910, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pay more than the rest of Indiana?
Yes. The metro median of $48,210 is 2.7% above the Indiana median of $46,930. 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Chief Executives ($214,170), Pediatricians, General ($180,260), Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates ($177,180). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood unusually full of?
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians, at 3.55× 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.