Home / Wages / Lancaster Lancaster salaries The median worker in the Lancaster, PA metro area earned $46,960 a year in 2024, about $22.58 an hour. That ranks #185 of the 391 metro areas published here, 5.1% below the national median.
Pennsylvania
Median pay $46,960 $22.58 per hour
Vs national -5.1% U.S. $49,500
Workers 250,210 wage and salary
Metro rank #185 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Lancaster pays 3.3% 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 Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 4.09× 530 $45,640 Food Batchmakers 3.09× 860 $40,370 Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 2.92× 1,290 $28,550 Carpenters 2.46× 2,790 $51,270 Bakers 2.28× 860 $34,500 Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.23× 1,390 $47,110 Helpers--Production Workers 2.21× 600 $39,130 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School 2.19× 580 $78,190 Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.09× 590 $48,340 Cost Estimators 2.03× 720 $71,920 Packers and Packagers, Hand 2.01× 1,970 $38,830 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 1.96× 560 $52,640
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Lancaster Occupation Median Hourly Employed Chief Executives $206,840 $99.44 320 Physicians, All Other $184,790 $88.84 490 Computer and Information Systems Managers $137,080 $65.90 450 Architectural and Engineering Managers $136,740 $65.74 250 Pharmacists $133,610 $64.23 420 Nurse Practitioners $130,240 $62.62 390 Financial Managers $130,100 $62.55 1,060 Physician Assistants $125,740 $60.45 280 Sales Managers $125,240 $60.21 790 Personal Financial Advisors $121,610 $58.47 350 Human Resources Managers $121,400 $58.36 250 Lawyers $108,370 $52.10 530 Managers, All Other $107,100 $51.49 550 Marketing Managers $106,330 $51.12 300 Software Developers $103,530 $49.78 660 Medical and Health Services Managers $103,180 $49.61 990 Speech-Language Pathologists $102,530 $49.29 290 Industrial Production Managers $102,170 $49.12 530 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $101,080 n/a 460 Construction Managers $101,000 $48.56 350 Physical Therapists $99,440 $47.81 360 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $95,910 $46.11 340 Occupational Therapists $95,310 $45.82 300 Industrial Engineers $95,220 $45.78 500 General and Operations Managers $94,130 $45.26 6,650 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $92,910 $44.67 210 Facilities Managers $92,630 $44.53 250 Project Management Specialists $92,190 $44.32 1,380 Management Analysts $91,400 $43.94 400 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $88,870 $42.72 690 Civil Engineers $88,790 $42.69 440 Financial and Investment Analysts $87,620 $42.13 240 Data Scientists $87,470 $42.05 200 Computer Systems Analysts $87,350 $42.00 280 Computer Occupations, All Other $85,260 $40.99 240 Mechanical Engineers $84,970 $40.85 520 Registered Nurses $83,180 $39.99 5,120 Dental Hygienists $82,040 $39.44 370 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $80,940 $38.91 340 Respiratory Therapists $79,250 $38.10 220 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $79,220 $38.09 260 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $79,120 n/a 550 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,730 n/a 2,190 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School $78,190 n/a 580 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $77,900 $37.45 360 Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $76,830 n/a 300 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $76,510 $36.79 1,710 Instructional Coordinators $76,500 $36.78 270 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $76,250 $36.66 1,010 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $75,450 n/a 2,230 Social and Community Service Managers $74,200 $35.67 300 Accountants and Auditors $73,640 $35.41 1,950 Cost Estimators $71,920 $34.58 720 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $69,830 $33.57 1,890 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $68,010 $32.70 370 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $66,030 $31.74 640 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $65,800 $31.63 330 Physical Therapist Assistants $64,850 $31.18 220 Industrial Machinery Mechanics $63,770 $30.66 1,050 Human Resources Specialists $63,210 $30.39 1,100
Where most people work Largest occupations in Lancaster by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Retail Salespersons 7,430 $29,690 $14.27 General and Operations Managers 6,650 $94,130 $45.26 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 6,420 $29,630 $14.25 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 6,400 $41,190 $19.80 Fast Food and Counter Workers 6,280 $28,570 $13.74 Cashiers 5,380 $28,250 $13.58 Registered Nurses 5,120 $83,180 $39.99 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 4,820 $57,670 $27.73 Stockers and Order Fillers 4,760 $35,260 $16.95 Office Clerks, General 4,650 $41,910 $20.15 Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 4,140 $44,740 $21.51 Customer Service Representatives 4,010 $42,960 $20.65 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,870 $35,380 $17.01 Waiters and Waitresses 3,520 $29,450 $14.16 Nursing Assistants 3,200 $40,090 $19.27 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,020 $44,100 $21.20 Carpenters 2,790 $51,270 $24.65 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 2,720 $63,060 $30.32 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 2,690 $49,420 $23.76 Construction Laborers 2,470 $47,800 $22.98
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 2,868,720 workers $51,760 State College 68,760 workers $50,250 Harrisburg-Carlisle 330,750 workers $48,510 Pittsburgh 1,109,050 workers $48,210 Reading 171,480 workers $48,210 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton 370,040 workers $47,770 Lancaster pay: common questions What is the average salary in Lancaster? The median across all occupations is $46,960 , or $22.58 an hour, covering 250,210 wage and salary workers. The mean is $57,350, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Lancaster pay more than the rest of Pennsylvania? No. The metro median of $46,960 is 3.3% 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 Lancaster? Chief Executives ($206,840), Physicians, All Other ($184,790), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($137,080). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Lancaster unusually full of? Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters, at 4.09× 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.