StateRates

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre salaries

The median worker in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earned $45,400 a year in 2024, about $21.83 an hour. That ranks #246 of the 391 metro areas published here, 8.3% below the national median.

Pennsylvania

Median pay $45,400 $21.83 per hour
Vs national -8.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 254,190 wage and salary
Metro rank #246 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre pays 6.5% 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
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs 4.45× 1,150 $56,100
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 4.42× 5,880 $48,410
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2.7× 780 $58,450
Highway Maintenance Workers 2.4× 600 $47,200
Packers and Packagers, Hand 2.39× 2,370 $37,240
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2.07× 10,160 $41,860
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 1,270 $41,470
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 1.85× 1,920 $61,310
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors 1.7× 1,230 $49,780
Bakers 1.67× 640 $34,370
Bus Drivers, School 1.64× 1,050 $37,100
Social and Human Service Assistants 1.63× 1,140 $43,340

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Family Medicine Physicians $221,070 $106.28 220
Chief Executives $201,120 $96.69 320
Physicians, All Other $166,820 $80.20 560
Architectural and Engineering Managers $147,380 $70.86 210
Pharmacists $133,420 $64.14 690
Computer and Information Systems Managers $132,870 $63.88 370
Nurse Practitioners $128,120 $61.60 460
Financial Managers $123,280 $59.27 790
Physician Assistants $122,240 $58.77 330
Human Resources Managers $119,430 $57.42 220
Marketing Managers $116,630 $56.07 210
Software Developers $110,860 $53.30 700
Managers, All Other $108,730 $52.27 570
Sales Managers $106,450 $51.18 580
Industrial Production Managers $102,940 $49.49 430
Lawyers $102,480 $49.27 840
Personal Financial Advisors $101,810 $48.95 250
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,030 $48.57 1,050
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $100,180 n/a 510
Physical Therapists $96,760 $46.52 480
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $96,690 $46.49 350
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $95,850 n/a 290
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $95,660 $45.99 290
Facilities Managers $94,220 $45.30 240
Occupational Therapists $90,600 $43.56 360
Industrial Engineers $90,490 $43.50 570
Civil Engineers $89,960 $43.25 390
Management Analysts $89,860 $43.20 510
Computer Occupations, All Other $89,380 $42.97 410
General and Operations Managers $89,210 $42.89 5,910
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $88,900 $42.74 230
Project Management Specialists $88,600 $42.60 810
Speech-Language Pathologists $85,710 $41.21 310
Mechanical Engineers $85,570 $41.14 390
Computer Systems Analysts $82,190 $39.51 390
Registered Nurses $81,450 $39.16 5,430
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $78,410 $37.70 920
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $78,280 n/a 400
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School $76,690 n/a 300
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $76,640 $36.85 200
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $76,570 $36.81 240
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $76,500 $36.78 240
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $76,480 n/a 2,060
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $75,790 $36.44 930
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $75,420 $36.26 550
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $74,070 $35.61 1,190
Social and Community Service Managers $73,940 $35.55 400
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $73,240 n/a 2,360
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $72,720 n/a 980
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $70,940 $34.11 1,530
Cost Estimators $70,090 $33.70 370
Accountants and Auditors $67,530 $32.47 1,560
Loan Officers $67,280 $32.35 300
Correctional Officers and Jailers $66,460 $31.95 850
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $65,860 $31.66 1,580
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $65,750 $31.61 850
Electricians $65,390 $31.44 1,000
Dental Hygienists $65,380 $31.44 410
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $63,690 $30.62 360
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists $62,900 $30.24 210

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 10,160 $41,860 $20.12
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 9,340 $28,890 $13.89
Stockers and Order Fillers 6,810 $36,260 $17.43
Retail Salespersons 6,700 $29,250 $14.06
General and Operations Managers 5,910 $89,210 $42.89
Fast Food and Counter Workers 5,900 $27,770 $13.35
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 5,880 $48,410 $23.28
Registered Nurses 5,430 $81,450 $39.16
Cashiers 5,220 $27,290 $13.12
Office Clerks, General 5,210 $40,640 $19.54
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,210 $56,440 $27.14
Customer Service Representatives 3,830 $38,820 $18.67
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,570 $35,370 $17.01
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,520 $38,180 $18.36
Waiters and Waitresses 3,360 $28,790 $13.84
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 3,180 $48,600 $23.37
Nursing Assistants 2,900 $38,830 $18.67
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,890 $40,960 $19.69
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 2,400 $61,880 $29.75
Light Truck Drivers 2,370 $42,360 $20.36

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

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre?

The median across all occupations is $45,400, or $21.83 an hour, covering 254,190 wage and salary workers. The mean is $55,300, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Scranton--Wilkes-Barre pay more than the rest of Pennsylvania?

No. The metro median of $45,400 is 6.5% 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre?

Family Medicine Physicians ($221,070), Chief Executives ($201,120), Physicians, All Other ($166,820). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Scranton--Wilkes-Barre unusually full of?

Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs, at 4.45× 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.