Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid

Kanawha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 55 counties in 2015, at $5.05 billion. Wirt County had the lowest, at $19.3 million. The median was $285.4 million and the figure for West Virginia was $30.26 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest5,054.6Kanawha County
Lowest19.3Wirt County
Median285.455 counties
West Virginia30,264.8History

Map of counties, 2015

Barbour County: 126.9 USD millionBerkeley County: 1,388.1 USD millionBoone County: 305.5 USD millionBraxton County: 142.2 USD millionBrooke County: 340.9 USD millionCabell County: 2,286.6 USD millionCalhoun County: 52.4 USD millionClay County: 48.6 USD millionDoddridge County: 66.5 USD millionFayette County: 420.6 USD millionGilmer County: 95.4 USD millionGrant County: 144 USD millionGreenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionHampshire County: 136.6 USD millionHancock County: 390 USD millionHardy County: 192.8 USD millionHarrison County: 1,762 USD millionJackson County: 320.2 USD millionJefferson County: 701.5 USD millionKanawha County: 5,054.6 USD millionLewis County: 334.6 USD millionLincoln County: 109.1 USD millionLogan County: 448.8 USD millionMcDowell County: 207.7 USD millionMarion County: 876.8 USD millionMarshall County: 597.6 USD millionMason County: 253.1 USD millionMercer County: 777.2 USD millionMineral County: 323.4 USD millionMingo County: 285.4 USD millionMonongalia County: 2,893.8 USD millionMonroe County: 78.4 USD millionMorgan County: 97.8 USD millionNicholas County: 295.3 USD millionOhio County: 1,244.7 USD millionPendleton County: 54.6 USD millionPleasants County: 148.1 USD millionPocahontas County: 101.1 USD millionPreston County: 308.3 USD millionPutnam County: 1,076.7 USD millionRaleigh County: 1,356.2 USD millionRandolph County: 402 USD millionRitchie County: 145.4 USD millionRoane County: 113.1 USD millionSummers County: 94 USD millionTaylor County: 143.1 USD millionTucker County: 101.5 USD millionTyler County: 112.2 USD millionUpshur County: 311.3 USD millionWayne County: 415.9 USD millionWebster County: 77.4 USD millionWetzel County: 162.9 USD millionWirt County: 19.3 USD millionWood County: 1,575.6 USD millionWyoming County: 234.7 USD million
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 290
  • 290 to 390
  • 390 to 880
  • 880 and over
USD million, 2015. 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.

All counties, 2015

Kanawha County: 5,054.6 USD millionKanawha County5,054.6Monongalia County: 2,893.8 USD millionMonongalia County2,893.8Cabell County: 2,286.6 USD millionCabell County2,286.6Harrison County: 1,762 USD millionHarrison County1,762Wood County: 1,575.6 USD millionWood County1,575.6Berkeley County: 1,388.1 USD millionBerkeley County1,388.1Raleigh County: 1,356.2 USD millionRaleigh County1,356.2Ohio County: 1,244.7 USD millionOhio County1,244.7Putnam County: 1,076.7 USD millionPutnam County1,076.7Marion County: 876.8 USD millionMarion County876.8Mercer County: 777.2 USD millionMercer County777.2Jefferson County: 701.5 USD millionJefferson County701.5Marshall County: 597.6 USD millionMarshall County597.6Greenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionGreenbrier County512.1Logan County: 448.8 USD millionLogan County448.8Fayette County: 420.6 USD millionFayette County420.6Wayne County: 415.9 USD millionWayne County415.9Randolph County: 402 USD millionRandolph County402Hancock County: 390 USD millionHancock County390Brooke County: 340.9 USD millionBrooke County340.9Lewis County: 334.6 USD millionLewis County334.6Mineral County: 323.4 USD millionMineral County323.4Jackson County: 320.2 USD millionJackson County320.2Upshur County: 311.3 USD millionUpshur County311.3Preston County: 308.3 USD millionPreston County308.3Boone County: 305.5 USD millionBoone County305.5Nicholas County: 295.3 USD millionNicholas County295.3Mingo County: 285.4 USD millionMingo County285.4Mason County: 253.1 USD millionMason County253.1Wyoming County: 234.7 USD millionWyoming County234.7McDowell County: 207.7 USD millionMcDowell County207.7Hardy County: 192.8 USD millionHardy County192.8Wetzel County: 162.9 USD millionWetzel County162.9Pleasants County: 148.1 USD millionPleasants County148.1Ritchie County: 145.4 USD millionRitchie County145.4Grant County: 144 USD millionGrant County144Taylor County: 143.1 USD millionTaylor County143.1Braxton County: 142.2 USD millionBraxton County142.2Hampshire County: 136.6 USD millionHampshire County136.6Barbour County: 126.9 USD millionBarbour County126.9Roane County: 113.1 USD millionRoane County113.1Tyler County: 112.2 USD millionTyler County112.2Lincoln County: 109.1 USD millionLincoln County109.1Tucker County: 101.5 USD millionTucker County101.5Pocahontas County: 101.1 USD millionPocahontas County101.1Morgan County: 97.8 USD millionMorgan County97.8Gilmer County: 95.4 USD millionGilmer County95.4Summers County: 94 USD millionSummers County94Monroe County: 78.4 USD millionMonroe County78.4Webster County: 77.4 USD millionWebster County77.4Doddridge County: 66.5 USD millionDoddridge County66.5Pendleton County: 54.6 USD millionPendleton County54.6Calhoun County: 52.4 USD millionCalhoun County52.4Clay County: 48.6 USD millionClay County48.6Wirt County: 19.3 USD millionWirt County19.3Kanawha County: 5,054.6 USD millionKanawha County5,054.6Monongalia County: 2,893.8 USD millionMonongalia County2,893.8Cabell County: 2,286.6 USD millionCabell County2,286.6Harrison County: 1,762 USD millionHarrison County1,762Wood County: 1,575.6 USD millionWood County1,575.6Berkeley County: 1,388.1 USD millionBerkeley County1,388.1Raleigh County: 1,356.2 USD millionRaleigh County1,356.2Ohio County: 1,244.7 USD millionOhio County1,244.7Putnam County: 1,076.7 USD millionPutnam County1,076.7Marion County: 876.8 USD millionMarion County876.8Mercer County: 777.2 USD millionMercer County777.2Jefferson County: 701.5 USD millionJefferson County701.5Marshall County: 597.6 USD millionMarshall County597.6Greenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionGreenbrier County512.1Logan County: 448.8 USD millionLogan County448.8Fayette County: 420.6 USD millionFayette County420.6Wayne County: 415.9 USD millionWayne County415.9Randolph County: 402 USD millionRandolph County402Hancock County: 390 USD millionHancock County390Brooke County: 340.9 USD millionBrooke County340.9Lewis County: 334.6 USD millionLewis County334.6Mineral County: 323.4 USD millionMineral County323.4Jackson County: 320.2 USD millionJackson County320.2Upshur County: 311.3 USD millionUpshur County311.3Preston County: 308.3 USD millionPreston County308.3Boone County: 305.5 USD millionBoone County305.5Nicholas County: 295.3 USD millionNicholas County295.3Mingo County: 285.4 USD millionMingo County285.4Mason County: 253.1 USD millionMason County253.1Wyoming County: 234.7 USD millionWyoming County234.7McDowell County: 207.7 USD millionMcDowell County207.7Hardy County: 192.8 USD millionHardy County192.8Wetzel County: 162.9 USD millionWetzel County162.9Pleasants County: 148.1 USD millionPleasants County148.1Ritchie County: 145.4 USD millionRitchie County145.4Grant County: 144 USD millionGrant County144Taylor County: 143.1 USD millionTaylor County143.1Braxton County: 142.2 USD millionBraxton County142.2Hampshire County: 136.6 USD millionHampshire County136.6Barbour County: 126.9 USD millionBarbour County126.9Roane County: 113.1 USD millionRoane County113.1Tyler County: 112.2 USD millionTyler County112.2Lincoln County: 109.1 USD millionLincoln County109.1Tucker County: 101.5 USD millionTucker County101.5Pocahontas County: 101.1 USD millionPocahontas County101.1Morgan County: 97.8 USD millionMorgan County97.8Gilmer County: 95.4 USD millionGilmer County95.4Summers County: 94 USD millionSummers County94Monroe County: 78.4 USD millionMonroe County78.4Webster County: 77.4 USD millionWebster County77.4Doddridge County: 66.5 USD millionDoddridge County66.5Pendleton County: 54.6 USD millionPendleton County54.6Calhoun County: 52.4 USD millionCalhoun County52.4Clay County: 48.6 USD millionClay County48.6Wirt County: 19.3 USD millionWirt County19.3
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

RankCounties2015
USD million
Change on 2014
1Kanawha County5,054.6+1.4%
2Monongalia County2,893.8+6%
3Cabell County2,286.6+2.1%
4Harrison County1,762-0.6%
5Wood County1,575.6+1.3%
6Berkeley County1,388.1+2.3%
7Raleigh County1,356.2-2.6%
8Ohio County1,244.7+4.4%
9Putnam County1,076.7+4.2%
10Marion County876.8-3.5%
11Mercer County777.2-0.5%
12Jefferson County701.5+11.1%
13Marshall County597.6-9.1%
14Greenbrier County512.1+2%
15Logan County448.8-6.7%
16Fayette County420.6-0.8%
17Wayne County415.9-0.9%
18Randolph County402+2%
19Hancock County390-1.6%
20Brooke County340.9+5.3%
21Lewis County334.6-9.9%
22Mineral County323.4+3.2%
23Jackson County320.2+2.4%
24Upshur County311.3+1.1%
25Preston County308.3-0.5%
26Boone County305.5-14.7%
27Nicholas County295.3-1.9%
28Mingo County285.4-14.3%
29Mason County253.1+0.3%
30Wyoming County234.7-0.8%
31McDowell County207.7-15.3%
32Hardy County192.8+4.4%
33Wetzel County162.9+2.5%
34Pleasants County148.1-2.9%
35Ritchie County145.4-3.5%
36Grant County144-11.4%
37Taylor County143.1+3.4%
38Braxton County142.2+7.6%
39Hampshire County136.6+2.9%
40Barbour County126.9-2.5%
41Roane County113.1-4.4%
42Tyler County112.2+2.8%
43Lincoln County109.1-15.2%
44Tucker County101.5+3.1%
45Pocahontas County101.1+3.9%
46Morgan County97.8+1.4%
47Gilmer County95.4-2.3%
48Summers County94+8.8%
49Monroe County78.4+2.3%
50Webster County77.4-5.1%
51Doddridge County66.5-2.7%
52Pendleton County54.6-5.6%
53Calhoun County52.4-15.7%
54Clay County48.6-1.4%
55Wirt County19.3+6.6%

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. 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 (Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015) [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, Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015. 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/west-virginia-counties?period=2015. 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. Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/west-virginia-counties?period=2015.

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, Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/west-virginia-counties?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_west_virginia_2015,
  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: Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015}},
  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/west-virginia-counties?period=2015. 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: Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2015
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/west-virginia-counties?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/west-virginia-counties?period=2015.
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?

Kanawha County, with $5.05 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Wirt County, with $19.3 million in 2015.

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.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings