Average weekly wage (QCEW)
Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.
In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.
Key facts
- Average weekly wage (QCEW) in the United States was $1,514 in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- District of Columbia had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 51 states in 2025, at $2,479, and Mississippi the lowest, at $1,024. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Published for 3,195 places, with figures from 2001 to 2025.
Rankings
- US states
- US counties
- Counties in Texas
- Counties in Georgia
- Counties in Virginia
- Counties in Kentucky
- Counties in Missouri
- Counties in Kansas
- Counties in Illinois
- Counties in North Carolina
- Counties in Iowa
- Counties in Tennessee
US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2025
Places with data
Countries
Regions and states
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Louisiana
- North Dakota
- Maine
Provinces and counties
- Los Angeles County
- Cook County
- Harris County
- Maricopa County
- San Diego County
- Orange County
- Miami-Dade County
- Dallas County
- Kings County
- Riverside County
- Hernando County
- Polk County
- Lafayette Parish
- Anne Arundel County
- Hillsborough County
- Nueces County
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Which places have the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)? Use official data and cite it.
rank_places {"indicator":"average_weekly_wage","level":"region","within":"United States"}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=average_weekly_wage&level=region&within=United%20States