Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW)

Montgomery County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 24 counties in 2020, at $1,634. Garrett County had the lowest, at $740. The median was $1,000 and the figure for Maryland was $1,325. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest1,634Montgomery County
Median1,00024 counties
Maryland1,325History

Map of counties, 2020

Allegany County: 839 USDAnne Arundel County: 1,304 USDBaltimore County: 1,219 USDCalvert County: 1,041 USDCaroline County: 918 USDCarroll County: 944 USDCecil County: 1,036 USDCharles County: 991 USDDorchester County: 870 USDFrederick County: 1,118 USDGarrett County: 740 USDHarford County: 1,155 USDHoward County: 1,530 USDKent County: 868 USDMontgomery County: 1,634 USDPrince George's County: 1,244 USDQueen Anne's County: 878 USDSt. Mary's County: 1,465 USDSomerset County: 1,008 USDTalbot County: 895 USDWashington County: 935 USDWicomico County: 931 USDWorcester County: 751 USDBaltimore city: 1,408 USD
  • Under 870
  • 870 to 940
  • 940 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
USD, 2020. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2020

Montgomery County: 1,634 USDMontgomery County1,634Howard County: 1,530 USDHoward County1,530St. Mary's County: 1,465 USDSt. Mary's County1,465Baltimore city: 1,408 USDBaltimore city1,408Anne Arundel County: 1,304 USDAnne Arundel County1,304Prince George's County: 1,244 USDPrince George's County1,244Baltimore County: 1,219 USDBaltimore County1,219Harford County: 1,155 USDHarford County1,155Frederick County: 1,118 USDFrederick County1,118Calvert County: 1,041 USDCalvert County1,041Cecil County: 1,036 USDCecil County1,036Somerset County: 1,008 USDSomerset County1,008Charles County: 991 USDCharles County991Carroll County: 944 USDCarroll County944Washington County: 935 USDWashington County935Wicomico County: 931 USDWicomico County931Caroline County: 918 USDCaroline County918Talbot County: 895 USDTalbot County895Queen Anne's County: 878 USDQueen Anne's County878Dorchester County: 870 USDDorchester County870Kent County: 868 USDKent County868Allegany County: 839 USDAllegany County839Worcester County: 751 USDWorcester County751Garrett County: 740 USDGarrett County740Montgomery County: 1,634 USDMontgomery County1,634Howard County: 1,530 USDHoward County1,530St. Mary's County: 1,465 USDSt. Mary's County1,465Baltimore city: 1,408 USDBaltimore city1,408Anne Arundel County: 1,304 USDAnne Arundel County1,304Prince George's County: 1,244 USDPrince George's County1,244Baltimore County: 1,219 USDBaltimore County1,219Harford County: 1,155 USDHarford County1,155Frederick County: 1,118 USDFrederick County1,118Calvert County: 1,041 USDCalvert County1,041Cecil County: 1,036 USDCecil County1,036Somerset County: 1,008 USDSomerset County1,008Charles County: 991 USDCharles County991Carroll County: 944 USDCarroll County944Washington County: 935 USDWashington County935Wicomico County: 931 USDWicomico County931Caroline County: 918 USDCaroline County918Talbot County: 895 USDTalbot County895Queen Anne's County: 878 USDQueen Anne's County878Dorchester County: 870 USDDorchester County870Kent County: 868 USDKent County868Allegany County: 839 USDAllegany County839Worcester County: 751 USDWorcester County751Garrett County: 740 USDGarrett County740
USD. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
USD
Change on 2019
1Montgomery County1,634+10.3%
2Howard County1,530+12.3%
3St. Mary's County1,465+10.1%
4Baltimore city1,408+6.8%
5Anne Arundel County1,304+10.7%
6Prince George's County1,244+7.9%
7Baltimore County1,219+9.8%
8Harford County1,155+9.5%
9Frederick County1,118+9.7%
10Calvert County1,041+8.9%
11Cecil County1,036+6.9%
12Somerset County1,008+9.4%
13Charles County991+9.1%
14Carroll County944+9.5%
15Washington County935+8.7%
16Wicomico County931+8.5%
17Caroline County918+9.5%
18Talbot County895+7.1%
19Queen Anne's County878+10.6%
20Dorchester County870+9.6%
21Kent County868+8.4%
22Allegany County839+8.1%
23Worcester County751+10.6%
24Garrett County740+6.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

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.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_maryland_by_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
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AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Maryland by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/maryland-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2020/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Montgomery County, with $1,634 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Garrett County, with $740 in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Average weekly wage (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Maryland: more rankings