StateRates

Lafayette-West Lafayette salaries

The median worker in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metro area earned $47,070 a year in 2024, about $22.63 an hour. That ranks #181 of the 391 metro areas published here, 4.9% below the national median.

Indiana

Median pay $47,070 $22.63 per hour
Vs national -4.9% U.S. $49,500
Workers 102,060 wage and salary
Metro rank #181 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Lafayette-West Lafayette pays 0.3% 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.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 23.22× 610 $136,140
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 4.37× 500 $48,110
Industrial Engineers 2.32× 540 $112,010
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 1.92× 540 $71,860
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1.72× 4,310 $27,400
Electricians 1.56× 770 $76,980
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1.51× 690 $74,130
Office Clerks, General 1.41× 2,340 $41,740
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 1.41× 550 $48,500
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1.33× 1,930 $35,740
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1.19× 2,350 $37,540
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 1.14× 900 $39,890

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Architectural and Engineering Managers $178,320 $85.73 200
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $136,140 n/a 610
Financial Managers $127,130 $61.12 250
Nurse Practitioners $125,200 $60.19 250
Pharmacists $119,950 $57.67 300
Sales Managers $119,470 $57.44 230
Industrial Engineers $112,010 $53.85 540
Mechanical Engineers $107,460 $51.67 470
Industrial Production Managers $104,110 $50.05 320
General and Operations Managers $102,370 $49.22 1,000
Administrative Services Managers $100,740 $48.43 270
Medical and Health Services Managers $100,390 $48.27 330
Lawyers $100,340 $48.24 200
Computer Systems Analysts $93,770 $45.08 220
Management Analysts $89,590 $43.07 240
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $86,810 $41.74 280
Software Developers $85,900 $41.30 350
Operations Research Analysts $84,150 $40.46 260
Project Management Specialists $83,700 $40.24 250
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $81,240 $39.06 450
Facilities Managers $80,570 $38.73 230
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $79,780 $38.36 350
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $79,510 n/a 270
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $77,460 $37.24 350
Registered Nurses $77,340 $37.18 1,900
Accountants and Auditors $77,130 $37.08 580
Electricians $76,980 $37.01 770
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $75,310 $36.21 200
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $75,200 $36.15 380
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,130 $35.64 690
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $71,860 $34.55 540
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $68,690 $33.03 680
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $67,170 $32.30 290
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $65,770 $31.62 200
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $65,690 $31.58 980
Public Relations Specialists $64,140 $30.84 280
Instructional Coordinators $63,930 $30.74 270
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $63,870 $30.71 320
Human Resources Specialists $63,740 $30.65 450
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $63,120 $30.35 220
Farm and Home Management Educators $63,080 $30.33 330
Compliance Officers $62,860 $30.22 250
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,140 n/a 610
Insurance Sales Agents $61,680 $29.66 280
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $61,400 $29.52 310
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $60,660 $29.17 210
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $60,280 $28.98 320
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $59,930 $28.81 310
Carpenters $59,420 $28.57 310
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $59,370 $28.54 350
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $59,270 n/a 310
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $58,660 n/a 700
Postal Service Mail Carriers $58,390 $28.07 200
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,040 $27.91 1,340
Firefighters $55,500 $26.68 220
Machinists $54,020 $25.97 490
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $53,560 $25.75 450
Computer User Support Specialists $51,510 $24.76 340
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians $50,340 $24.20 200
Construction Laborers $50,330 $24.20 760

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Lafayette-West Lafayette by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,310 $27,400 $13.17
Retail Salespersons 2,590 $29,480 $14.17
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,350 $37,540 $18.05
Office Clerks, General 2,340 $41,740 $20.07
Cashiers 1,980 $28,450 $13.68
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,930 $35,740 $17.18
Registered Nurses 1,900 $77,340 $37.18
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 1,740 $34,180 $16.43
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,680 $31,920 $15.35
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,340 $58,040 $27.91
Waiters and Waitresses 1,320 $27,370 $13.16
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,260 $44,190 $21.25
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,010 $47,910 $23.03
General and Operations Managers 1,000 $102,370 $49.22
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 980 $65,690 $31.58
Customer Service Representatives 920 $39,740 $19.11
Cooks, Restaurant 910 $31,320 $15.06
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 900 $39,890 $19.18
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 880 $31,210 n/a
Nursing Assistants 850 $36,400 $17.50

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 Indiana metro areas

Lafayette-West Lafayette pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette?

The median across all occupations is $47,070, or $22.63 an hour, covering 102,060 wage and salary workers. The mean is $57,780, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Lafayette-West Lafayette pay more than the rest of Indiana?

Yes. The metro median of $47,070 is 0.3% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?

Architectural and Engineering Managers ($178,320), Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary ($136,140), Financial Managers ($127,130). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Lafayette-West Lafayette unusually full of?

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, at 23.22× 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.