StateRates

Trenton-Princeton salaries

The median worker in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area earned $62,610 a year in 2024, about $30.10 an hour. That ranks #8 of the 391 metro areas published here, 26.5% above the national median.

New Jersey

Median pay $62,610 $30.10 per hour
Vs national +26.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 239,220 wage and salary
Metro rank #8 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Trenton-Princeton pays 9.4% more than New Jersey 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
Natural Sciences Managers 14.45× 2,260 $175,420
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 6.96× 920 $77,610
Chemists 4.97× 640 $86,090
Financial Specialists, All Other 4.85× 960 $86,540
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 3.59× 720 $96,620
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other 3.51× 600 $59,680
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists 3.5× 850 $126,990
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists 3.44× 550 $74,050
Construction and Building Inspectors 3.32× 710 $81,220
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 3.21× 5,620 $86,410
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks 3.12× 820 $51,130
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents 3.09× 2,260 $96,350

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Trenton-Princeton
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Marketing Managers $199,950 $96.13 1,240
Sales Managers $181,500 $87.26 850
Computer and Information Systems Managers $180,330 $86.70 2,460
Natural Sciences Managers $175,420 $84.34 2,260
Financial Managers $175,290 $84.28 2,320
Architectural and Engineering Managers $174,320 $83.81 320
Purchasing Managers $172,830 $83.09 290
Public Relations Managers $172,640 $83.00 450
General and Operations Managers $160,460 $77.14 3,390
Industrial Production Managers $159,110 $76.49 270
Human Resources Managers $156,250 $75.12 530
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $148,270 $71.29 250
Nurse Practitioners $142,200 $68.36 450
Computer Network Architects $139,220 $66.93 380
Administrative Services Managers $137,990 $66.34 1,120
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $137,710 n/a 580
Pharmacists $134,170 $64.50 390
Managers, All Other $132,270 $63.59 1,950
Data Scientists $130,590 $62.78 370
Lawyers $130,330 $62.66 2,100
Facilities Managers $129,970 $62.48 320
Information Security Analysts $129,970 $62.49 230
Construction Managers $129,820 $62.41 400
Medical and Health Services Managers $129,620 $62.32 890
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $128,570 $61.81 390
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $127,500 $61.30 260
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $126,990 $61.05 850
Software Developers $126,820 $60.97 4,010
Project Management Specialists $110,500 $53.13 1,590
Computer Occupations, All Other $108,540 $52.18 970
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $107,290 $51.58 420
Electrical Engineers $107,240 $51.56 220
Computer Systems Analysts $106,940 $51.41 1,280
Computer Programmers $106,880 $51.38 360
Engineers, All Other $106,100 $51.01 290
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $104,470 $50.22 490
Labor Relations Specialists $104,170 $50.08 280
Physical Therapists $103,830 $49.92 280
Industrial Engineers $103,740 $49.88 310
Biochemists and Biophysicists $103,100 $49.57 440
Personal Financial Advisors $102,590 $49.32 690
Physical Scientists, All Other $102,350 $49.21 260
Social and Community Service Managers $102,230 $49.15 360
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $102,190 $49.13 680
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $101,010 $48.56 250
Civil Engineers $100,710 $48.42 1,070
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $100,390 $48.26 480
Instructional Coordinators $100,160 $48.15 360
Management Analysts $99,380 $47.78 2,630
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $99,020 $47.61 250
Operations Research Analysts $99,000 $47.60 350
Financial and Investment Analysts $97,920 $47.08 920
Accountants and Auditors $97,670 $46.96 2,860
Registered Nurses $97,640 $46.94 5,330
Credit Analysts $97,390 $46.82 220
Dental Hygienists $96,950 $46.61 320
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $96,620 $46.45 720
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $96,350 $46.32 2,260
Financial Examiners $94,170 $45.27 270
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $93,780 $45.09 950

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Trenton-Princeton by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 5,620 $86,410 $41.54
Registered Nurses 5,330 $97,640 $46.94
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 4,470 $36,910 $17.75
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,160 $33,620 $16.16
Cashiers 4,140 $33,530 $16.12
Software Developers 4,010 $126,820 $60.97
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 3,800 $37,720 $18.13
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,680 $51,690 $24.85
Customer Service Representatives 3,630 $45,950 $22.09
Retail Salespersons 3,570 $35,200 $16.93
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,470 $36,830 $17.71
General and Operations Managers 3,390 $160,460 $77.14
Stockers and Order Fillers 3,200 $36,730 $17.66
Security Guards 3,020 $35,240 $16.94
Office Clerks, General 3,020 $47,120 $22.66
Accountants and Auditors 2,860 $97,670 $46.96
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 2,690 $75,390 $36.24
Management Analysts 2,630 $99,380 $47.78
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 2,480 $34,770 n/a
Computer and Information Systems Managers 2,460 $180,330 $86.70

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 New Jersey metro areas

Trenton-Princeton pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Trenton-Princeton?

The median across all occupations is $62,610, or $30.10 an hour, covering 239,220 wage and salary workers. The mean is $80,810, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Trenton-Princeton pay more than the rest of New Jersey?

Yes. The metro median of $62,610 is 9.4% above the New Jersey median of $57,230. 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 Trenton-Princeton?

Marketing Managers ($199,950), Sales Managers ($181,500), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($180,330). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Trenton-Princeton unusually full of?

Natural Sciences Managers, at 14.45× 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.