South Bend-Mishawaka salaries
The median worker in the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area earned $45,800 a year in 2024, about $22.02 an hour. That ranks #232 of the 391 metro areas published here, 7.5% below the national median.
What this labour market looks like
South Bend-Mishawaka pays 2.4% less 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
| Occupation | Concentration | Employed | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.86× | 570 | $46,900 |
| Machinists | 2.82× | 720 | $48,750 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 2.01× | 730 | $40,630 |
| Driver/Sales Workers | 1.92× | 680 | $35,690 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1.57× | 920 | $65,230 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 1.55× | 590 | $37,270 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1.55× | 1,930 | $39,400 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1.52× | 4,890 | $27,790 |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 1.5× | 560 | $46,090 |
| Counter and Rental Clerks | 1.49× | 500 | $36,190 |
| Light Truck Drivers | 1.42× | 1,200 | $40,490 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1.4× | 700 | $46,190 |
Best paid occupations
Where most people work
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
South Bend-Mishawaka pay: common questions
What is the average salary in South Bend-Mishawaka?
The median across all occupations is $45,800, or $22.02 an hour, covering 131,060 wage and salary workers. The mean is $57,580, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does South Bend-Mishawaka pay more than the rest of Indiana?
No. The metro median of $45,800 is 2.4% below 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
Pharmacists ($138,980), Financial Managers ($133,720), Lawyers ($129,140). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is South Bend-Mishawaka unusually full of?
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, at 3.86× 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.