US counties by wages and salaries paid

New York County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 3082 counties in 2021, at $365.39 billion. McPherson County had the lowest, at $4.26 million. The median was $396.8 million and the figure for the United States was $10.3 trillion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Highest365,388.4New York County

Lowest4.3McPherson County

Median396.83082 counties

United States10,302,909History

Map of counties, 2021

USD million, 2021. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Counties	2021 USD million	Change on 2020
1	New York County	365,388.4	+9.8%
2	Los Angeles County	360,355	+10.1%
3	Cook County	216,518.3	+8.3%
4	Santa Clara County	210,277.2	+16.5%
5	Harris County	186,360.2	+5.3%
6	King County	165,855.3	+11.9%
7	Dallas County	149,156.5	+10.1%
8	Maricopa County	147,625.5	+10.8%
9	San Francisco County	137,198.6	+20%
10	Orange County	129,266.4	+9.4%
11	San Diego County	124,188.1	+10%
12	Middlesex County	99,713.9	+10%
13	Fulton County	89,536.4	+11.7%
14	Miami-Dade County	85,729.9	+14.9%
15	Suffolk County	84,941.9	+8.1%
16	District of Columbia	84,058.9	+4.9%
17	Hennepin County	79,374.6	+7.3%
18	San Mateo County	78,025.6	+21.6%
19	Alameda County	75,567.3	+8.2%
20	Travis County	74,701.6	+18.3%
21	Tarrant County	63,698.7	+8.7%
22	Mecklenburg County	63,219.6	+9.6%
23	Clark County	60,736.1	+14.8%
24	Broward County	58,573.9	+12.5%
25	Bexar County	57,605.8	+7.7%
26	Orange County	57,144.7	+14.9%
27	Philadelphia County	54,713.2	+4.8%
28	Oakland County	54,342.5	+8.3%
29	Franklin County	54,152.8	+6.7%
30	Hillsborough County	54,097.1	+11.3%
31	Sacramento County	52,235.4	+7.7%
32	Salt Lake County	52,159.2	+10.5%
33	Allegheny County	51,856.4	+7.7%
34	Wayne County	51,232.5	+6.2%
35	Cuyahoga County	51,173	+7.1%
36	San Bernardino County	49,602.6	+10.4%
37	Denver County	48,650.8	+12.7%
38	DuPage County	48,340	+7.9%
39	Palm Beach County	47,761.9	+16.7%
40	Suffolk County	47,467.6	+8.4%
41	Wake County	46,534.2	+14%
42	Kings County	45,543.2	+8.1%
43	Montgomery County	45,512.2	+9.5%
44	Nassau County	45,475.6	+9%
45	Montgomery County	45,315.1	+8.9%
46	Riverside County	45,135.8	+11.7%
47	St. Louis County	45,108.2	+6.1%
48	Queens County	44,497.7	+7.2%
49	Marion County	43,552	+7.9%
50	Collin County	39,573.9	+14.5%
51	Duval County	39,065.6	+9.7%
52	Davidson County	38,734.3	+14.1%
53	Hamilton County	38,720.6	+6.1%
54	Multnomah County	37,569.7	+7.4%
55	Westchester County	37,167.1	+7.3%
56	Bergen County	35,173	+9.2%
57	Middlesex County	34,718.8	+10.2%
58	Shelby County	34,485.8	+9.2%
59	Lake County	31,987.2	+8%
60	Milwaukee County	31,459.5	+6.6%
61	Contra Costa County	31,185.4	+7%
62	Jefferson County	30,884.6	+7.7%
63	Morris County	30,742.8	+5.7%
64	Honolulu County	30,491.6	+6.2%
65	Pinellas County	29,311.4	+11%
66	Oklahoma County	29,236.4	+5.9%
67	Cobb County	28,890.2	+11%
68	Essex County	27,970.9	+4.8%
69	Arapahoe County	27,767.9	+6.5%
70	Baltimore city	27,372	+5%
71	Erie County	27,253	+6.4%
72	Norfolk County	27,063.6	+8%
73	Washington County	26,862.1	+10.3%
74	Jackson County	26,576.1	+7.2%
75	Baltimore County	26,378.6	+6.2%
76	Johnson County	25,601.1	+7.3%
77	Hudson County	25,343.1	+8.4%
78	Anne Arundel County	25,198.9	+6.6%
79	Gwinnett County	24,709.7	+9.7%
80	Jefferson County	24,301.3	+7.6%
81	Kent County	24,013.6	+8.1%
82	Dane County	23,984.2	+8.7%
83	Ramsey County	23,603.4	+3.7%
84	Douglas County	23,387.3	+6.8%
85	Essex County	23,291.5	+10.4%
86	Worcester County	23,255.5	+7.9%
87	Monroe County	22,897.8	+6%
88	Prince George's County	22,885	+5.8%
89	Ventura County	22,880.4	+5.3%
90	Pierce County	22,807.7	+8.6%
91	Pima County	22,724.9	+6.3%
92	Chester County	22,514.7	+8.5%
93	DeKalb County	22,309.3	+9.5%
94	Fresno County	22,256.8	+8.7%
95	Macomb County	22,020.7	+13.1%
96	Arlington County	21,711.5	+2.4%
97	New Castle County	21,598.6	+5.9%
98	Tulsa County	21,411.4	+4.9%
99	El Paso County	21,036.6	+8.1%
100	Bronx County	20,767.7	+5.4%
101	Durham County	20,671.6	+10.4%
102	Mercer County	20,611	+7.8%
103	Somerset County	20,496.7	+7.3%
104	Polk County	20,474.7	+7.1%
105	Snohomish County	20,329.7	+3.6%
106	Bernalillo County	20,158.9	+6.9%
107	Providence County	19,304.6	+6.6%
108	Kern County	19,198.6	+5.7%
109	Union County	19,132.4	+5.4%
110	Monmouth County	18,492.4	+9%
111	Denton County	17,794.8	+14.8%
112	Jefferson County	17,684.6	+6.4%
113	Guilford County	17,646.1	+8.9%
114	Ada County	17,584.7	+12.9%
115	Hillsborough County	17,399.3	+14.5%
116	Greenville County	17,380.6	+9.5%
117	Charleston County	17,354.4	+11.2%
118	St. Louis city	17,138.4	+6.7%
119	Bucks County	17,078.9	+9%
120	Waukesha County	16,963.4	+7%
121	El Paso County	16,806.7	+7%
122	Albany County	16,776.9	+10.5%
123	Boulder County	16,744.5	+11.7%
124	Utah County	16,671.4	+12.5%
125	Lee County	16,501.6	+12.8%
126	Delaware County	16,411.1	+7.7%
127	East Baton Rouge Parish	16,397.5	+5.9%
128	Pulaski County	16,288.8	+7.4%
129	San Joaquin County	16,131.8	+9.8%
130	Summit County	16,095.1	+7.1%
131	Madison County	15,775.7	+6%
132	Adams County	15,775.7	+9.6%
133	Howard County	15,284	+5.4%
134	Will County	15,254.4	+9.9%
135	Burlington County	15,250.3	+7.6%
136	Montgomery County	15,020.2	+5.2%
137	Onondaga County	14,939.9	+8.1%
138	Brevard County	14,935.7	+9.7%
139	Knox County	14,885.1	+10.8%
140	Sonoma County	14,710.6	+10%
141	Loudoun County	14,701.7	+8.2%
142	Williamson County	14,624.9	+12.6%
143	Washoe County	14,598.4	+14.1%
144	Spokane County	14,550.1	+11.7%
145	Sedgwick County	14,397.4	+4.2%
146	Santa Barbara County	14,371.8	+9.6%
147	Lancaster County	14,158.3	+8.3%
148	Washtenaw County	13,953.2	+6.7%
149	Richland County	13,825.1	+7.5%
150	Camden County	13,714.6	+8.5%
151	Bristol County	13,679.9	+8.5%
152	Montgomery County	13,664.8	+10.5%
153	Polk County	13,642.2	+10.1%
154	Seminole County	13,446.9	+11.8%
155	Henrico County	13,367.9	+7%
156	Lehigh County	13,139.4	+10.1%
157	Cumberland County	12,998.7	+10.7%
158	Placer County	12,959.5	+12.4%
159	Hamilton County	12,929.9	+8.4%
160	Kane County	12,895	+8.8%
161	Fort Bend County	12,679.2	+7.8%
162	Dakota County	12,660	+5.5%
163	Forsyth County	12,477.8	+10.6%
164	Plymouth County	12,471.7	+9.5%
165	Rockingham County	12,354.4	+21.6%
166	Dauphin County	12,338.1	+5.7%
167	Orleans Parish	12,261.6	+5.3%
168	Williamson County	12,225.5	+13.2%
169	Richmond city	12,175.4	+6%
170	Hampden County	11,923.4	+5.9%
171	Lucas County	11,897.8	+5.7%
172	Clark County	11,647.2	+14.8%
173	Stanislaus County	11,573.3	+8.1%
174	Virginia Beach city	11,524.9	+8.2%
175	Jefferson Parish	11,504.2	+6.3%
176	Monterey County	11,476.1	+6%
177	Fayette County	11,341.2	+7.5%
178	Clackamas County	11,253.6	+10.5%
179	Norfolk city	11,244.1	+7.5%
180	Douglas County	11,218.7	+14.5%
181	Hidalgo County	11,156.5	+8.9%
182	Allen County	11,141.7	+8.3%
183	Sarasota County	11,125.6	+15.6%
184	Lake County	11,069.5	+10.4%
185	Anchorage Municipality	10,867.7	+4.1%
186	Larimer County	10,846.6	+8.7%
187	Passaic County	10,712.2	+9.4%
188	Hamilton County	10,705.7	+12.2%
189	York County	10,453.1	+8.8%
190	Collier County	10,439.1	+16%
191	Cumberland County	10,278.7	+7.4%
192	Marin County	10,229.7	+7.2%
193	Mobile County	10,219.7	+8.8%
194	Benton County	10,188.8	+11.1%
195	Berks County	10,089.3	+5.9%
196	Solano County	10,023.4	-0.5%
197	Lancaster County	10,019.2	+6.9%
198	Ocean County	9,829.8	+11.7%
199	Chatham County	9,803.8	+11.7%
200	Brown County	9,667.3	+5.4%
201	Greene County	9,666.2	+10.2%
202	Butler County	9,548.3	+4.5%
203	Volusia County	9,457.7	+11.8%
204	Bell County	9,405.5	+6.8%
205	Escambia County	9,246.1	+9.5%
206	Marion County	9,240.9	+9.4%
207	St. Charles County	9,187.6	+8.6%
208	Elkhart County	9,145.8	+27.4%
209	Leon County	8,958	+9.3%
210	Ingham County	8,915.2	+6%
211	Cumberland County	8,783.1	+7.7%
212	Nueces County	8,747.2	+3.2%
213	Orange County	8,743.9	+8.9%
214	Lane County	8,579.5	+8.2%
215	Spartanburg County	8,553.2	+6.9%
216	Chesterfield County	8,416.9	+8.3%
217	Alachua County	8,394.8	+9.2%
218	Tulare County	8,298.1	+7.2%
219	Midland County	8,295.6	+7.5%
220	Anoka County	8,205.6	+9.2%
221	Stark County	8,162.1	+7.2%
222	Alexandria city	8,066.6	+3.9%
223	Richmond County	8,061.6	+8.6%
224	Davis County	7,959.5	+2.9%
225	Rockland County	7,932.3	+9.2%
226	Yolo County	7,919.5	+6.4%
227	Rutherford County	7,902.6	+10%
228	Clayton County	7,820.4	+2.6%
229	Linn County	7,806.7	+4.3%
230	Minnehaha County	7,761.7	+7.1%
231	Thurston County	7,720.5	+9.7%
232	Luzerne County	7,674.1	+8.7%
233	Manatee County	7,638.1	+12.5%
234	Montgomery County	7,634	+6.2%
235	Kalamazoo County	7,515.8	+8.8%
236	New Hanover County	7,466.2	+13.5%
237	Lubbock County	7,447	+5.8%
238	Buncombe County	7,424.8	+12.8%
239	Cass County	7,400.6	+8.8%
240	Olmsted County	7,339.6	+7.2%
241	Brazoria County	7,283.8	+2.4%
242	Atlantic County	7,270.7	+12.3%
243	Lafayette Parish	7,230	+6.1%
244	Ottawa County	7,192.5	+8.6%
245	San Luis Obispo County	7,121.7	+8.2%
246	Jefferson County	7,119.8	-0.2%
247	Newport News city	7,103.5	+5.7%
248	Genesee County	7,088.5	+7%
249	Westmoreland County	7,085.3	+8%
250	Winnebago County	7,053.6	+7.3%

Showing the top 250 of 3082. The Excel download has every row.

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. 9 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. 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 Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{bureau_us_counties_by_wages_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: US counties by wages and salaries paid, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/us-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

New York County, with $365.39 billion in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

McPherson County, with $4.26 million 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 Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 9 counties have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.