StateRates

Worcester salaries

The median worker in the Worcester, MA metro area earned $55,300 a year in 2024, about $26.59 an hour. That ranks #32 of the 391 metro areas published here, 11.7% above the national median.

Massachusetts

Median pay $55,300 $26.59 per hour
Vs national +11.7% U.S. $49,500
Workers 351,970 wage and salary
Metro rank #32 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Worcester pays 11.2% less than Massachusetts 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.

Housing here moved +2.9% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +36.7% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Worcester.

Unusually concentrated here

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Worcester
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Family Medicine Physicians $221,660 $106.57 200
Chief Executives $217,410 $104.53 470
Natural Sciences Managers $211,400 $101.64 340
Pediatricians, General $201,120 $96.69 240
Marketing Managers $176,500 $84.85 650
Architectural and Engineering Managers $172,390 $82.88 630
Computer and Information Systems Managers $168,570 $81.04 1,170
Financial Managers $162,720 $78.23 1,620
Managers, All Other $159,000 $76.44 500
Human Resources Managers $153,250 $73.68 440
Nurse Practitioners $144,200 $69.33 1,000
Physician Assistants $141,170 $67.87 470
Sales Managers $136,680 $65.71 1,000
Construction Managers $135,140 $64.97 920
Pharmacists $133,130 $64.01 710
Industrial Production Managers $131,490 $63.22 660
Software Developers $130,200 $62.60 1,790
Biochemists and Biophysicists $129,130 $62.08 770
Veterinarians $128,090 $61.58 210
Lawyers $126,330 $60.74 1,010
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $123,060 n/a 1,170
Computer Network Architects $122,580 $58.93 280
Data Scientists $120,130 $57.75 460
Medical and Health Services Managers $119,480 $57.44 1,910
Electrical Engineers $118,500 $56.97 360
Information Security Analysts $114,530 $55.06 220
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $112,610 $54.14 660
Chemical Engineers $112,270 $53.98 270
Personal Financial Advisors $110,720 $53.23 240
General and Operations Managers $109,430 $52.61 8,760
Facilities Managers $109,060 $52.43 450
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $108,080 $51.96 430
Computer Systems Analysts $107,760 $51.81 920
Management Analysts $107,540 $51.70 1,050
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $107,530 $51.70 220
Mechanical Engineers $106,150 $51.03 800
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $105,530 $50.74 760
Industrial Engineers $105,460 $50.70 1,230
Physical Therapists $104,580 $50.28 760
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $103,740 n/a 1,650
Registered Nurses $103,490 $49.76 9,730
Administrative Services Managers $102,240 $49.15 640
Civil Engineers $100,220 $48.18 560
Dental Hygienists $100,210 $48.18 720
Speech-Language Pathologists $99,470 $47.82 580
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $99,460 $47.82 260
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $99,420 $47.80 290
Chemists $99,280 $47.73 340
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $99,280 $47.73 210
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $99,090 $47.64 310
Cost Estimators $98,550 $47.38 470
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $98,420 $47.32 290
School Psychologists $98,150 $47.19 310
Project Management Specialists $97,750 $47.00 1,370
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $97,450 $46.85 480
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door $97,430 $46.84 350
Occupational Therapists $96,800 $46.54 760
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $96,660 $46.47 510
Logisticians $96,560 $46.42 310
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary $96,320 n/a 200

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Worcester by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 14,380 $39,520 $19.00
Registered Nurses 9,730 $103,490 $49.76
General and Operations Managers 8,760 $109,430 $52.61
Fast Food and Counter Workers 8,710 $34,500 $16.59
Retail Salespersons 8,530 $35,570 $17.10
Cashiers 7,540 $34,000 $16.34
Stockers and Order Fillers 5,960 $37,170 $17.87
Nursing Assistants 5,490 $44,080 $21.19
Office Clerks, General 5,390 $46,920 $22.56
Customer Service Representatives 5,230 $46,190 $22.21
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,130 $59,020 $28.38
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 5,120 $38,280 n/a
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 4,490 $44,310 $21.30
Waiters and Waitresses 4,370 $35,260 $16.95
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 4,370 $39,870 $19.17
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 4,160 $80,480 n/a
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 3,930 $71,790 $34.52
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,590 $87,210 n/a
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,560 $49,970 $24.02
Accountants and Auditors 3,260 $88,220 $42.41

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 Massachusetts metro areas

Worcester pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Worcester?

The median across all occupations is $55,300, or $26.59 an hour, covering 351,970 wage and salary workers. The mean is $70,980, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Worcester pay more than the rest of Massachusetts?

No. The metro median of $55,300 is 11.2% below the Massachusetts median of $62,270. 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 Worcester?

Family Medicine Physicians ($221,660), Chief Executives ($217,410), Natural Sciences Managers ($211,400). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Worcester unusually full of?

Biochemists and Biophysicists, at 9.74× 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.