Counties in Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW)
Suffolk County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 14 counties in 2021, at $2,333. Franklin County had the lowest, at $942. The median was $1,217 and the figure for Massachusetts was $1,688. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Map of counties, 2021
- Under 1,100
- 1,100 to 1,200
- 1,200 to 1,400
- 1,400 and over
All counties, 2021
Full ranking
| Rank | Counties | 2021 | Change on 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suffolk County | 2,333 | +4.4% |
| 2 | Middlesex County | 2,040 | +6.5% |
| 3 | Norfolk County | 1,475 | +2.6% |
| 4 | Nantucket County | 1,375 | +5.5% |
| 5 | Essex County | 1,369 | +5.3% |
| 6 | Worcester County | 1,249 | +3.7% |
| 7 | Dukes County | 1,230 | +3.6% |
| 8 | Plymouth County | 1,204 | +4.1% |
| 9 | Bristol County | 1,141 | +3.9% |
| 10 | Barnstable County | 1,107 | +3.8% |
| 11 | Hampshire County | 1,079 | +1.8% |
| 12 | Hampden County | 1,073 | +1.1% |
| 13 | Berkshire County | 1,055 | +1.9% |
| 14 | Franklin County | 942 | +3.3% |
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/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. 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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.
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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2021,
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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
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 Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/21
PB - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB - Invokely
UR - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
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Rank Counties in Massachusetts by average weekly wage (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"average_weekly_wage","level":"province","within":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
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Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?
Suffolk County, with $2,333 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?
Franklin County, with $942 in 2021.
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.