Counties in West Virginia by wages and salaries paid

Kanawha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 55 counties in 2017, at $5.11 billion. Wirt County had the lowest, at $18.3 million. The median was $252.05 million and the figure for West Virginia was $30.91 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest5,107Kanawha County
Lowest18.3Wirt County
Median252.155 counties
West Virginia30,905.5History

Map of counties, 2017

Barbour County: 134.1 USD millionBerkeley County: 1,524.9 USD millionBoone County: 237.4 USD millionBraxton County: 137.9 USD millionBrooke County: 345.2 USD millionCabell County: 2,346.1 USD millionCalhoun County: 51.9 USD millionClay County: 47.3 USD millionDoddridge County: 96.3 USD millionFayette County: 420 USD millionGilmer County: 79.9 USD millionGrant County: 151.7 USD millionGreenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionHampshire County: 132.1 USD millionHancock County: 399.3 USD millionHardy County: 212.3 USD millionHarrison County: 1,878.5 USD millionJackson County: 336 USD millionJefferson County: 751.1 USD millionKanawha County: 5,107 USD millionLewis County: 285.1 USD millionLincoln County: 106.8 USD millionLogan County: 431 USD millionMcDowell County: 204.2 USD millionMarion County: 842.6 USD millionMarshall County: 746 USD millionMason County: 252.1 USD millionMercer County: 779.4 USD millionMineral County: 332.2 USD millionMingo County: 263.2 USD millionMonongalia County: 3,105.3 USD millionMonroe County: 83.4 USD millionMorgan County: 101.7 USD millionNicholas County: 271.9 USD millionOhio County: 1,315.9 USD millionPendleton County: 49.9 USD millionPleasants County: 141.6 USD millionPocahontas County: 105.7 USD millionPreston County: 319.7 USD millionPutnam County: 1,114.4 USD millionRaleigh County: 1,343.5 USD millionRandolph County: 414.6 USD millionRitchie County: 143.2 USD millionRoane County: 116.2 USD millionSummers County: 87.8 USD millionTaylor County: 148 USD millionTucker County: 102 USD millionTyler County: 106.6 USD millionUpshur County: 297 USD millionWayne County: 384.9 USD millionWebster County: 65.6 USD millionWetzel County: 161.2 USD millionWirt County: 18.3 USD millionWood County: 1,567 USD millionWyoming County: 196.5 USD million
  • Under 100
  • 100 to 140
  • 140 to 250
  • 250 to 380
  • 380 to 840
  • 840 and over
USD million, 2017. 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, 2017

Kanawha County: 5,107 USD millionKanawha County5,107Monongalia County: 3,105.3 USD millionMonongalia County3,105.3Cabell County: 2,346.1 USD millionCabell County2,346.1Harrison County: 1,878.5 USD millionHarrison County1,878.5Wood County: 1,567 USD millionWood County1,567Berkeley County: 1,524.9 USD millionBerkeley County1,524.9Raleigh County: 1,343.5 USD millionRaleigh County1,343.5Ohio County: 1,315.9 USD millionOhio County1,315.9Putnam County: 1,114.4 USD millionPutnam County1,114.4Marion County: 842.6 USD millionMarion County842.6Mercer County: 779.4 USD millionMercer County779.4Jefferson County: 751.1 USD millionJefferson County751.1Marshall County: 746 USD millionMarshall County746Greenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionGreenbrier County512.1Logan County: 431 USD millionLogan County431Fayette County: 420 USD millionFayette County420Randolph County: 414.6 USD millionRandolph County414.6Hancock County: 399.3 USD millionHancock County399.3Wayne County: 384.9 USD millionWayne County384.9Brooke County: 345.2 USD millionBrooke County345.2Jackson County: 336 USD millionJackson County336Mineral County: 332.2 USD millionMineral County332.2Preston County: 319.7 USD millionPreston County319.7Upshur County: 297 USD millionUpshur County297Lewis County: 285.1 USD millionLewis County285.1Nicholas County: 271.9 USD millionNicholas County271.9Mingo County: 263.2 USD millionMingo County263.2Mason County: 252.1 USD millionMason County252.1Boone County: 237.4 USD millionBoone County237.4Hardy County: 212.3 USD millionHardy County212.3McDowell County: 204.2 USD millionMcDowell County204.2Wyoming County: 196.5 USD millionWyoming County196.5Wetzel County: 161.2 USD millionWetzel County161.2Grant County: 151.7 USD millionGrant County151.7Taylor County: 148 USD millionTaylor County148Ritchie County: 143.2 USD millionRitchie County143.2Pleasants County: 141.6 USD millionPleasants County141.6Braxton County: 137.9 USD millionBraxton County137.9Barbour County: 134.1 USD millionBarbour County134.1Hampshire County: 132.1 USD millionHampshire County132.1Roane County: 116.2 USD millionRoane County116.2Lincoln County: 106.8 USD millionLincoln County106.8Tyler County: 106.6 USD millionTyler County106.6Pocahontas County: 105.7 USD millionPocahontas County105.7Tucker County: 102 USD millionTucker County102Morgan County: 101.7 USD millionMorgan County101.7Doddridge County: 96.3 USD millionDoddridge County96.3Summers County: 87.8 USD millionSummers County87.8Monroe County: 83.4 USD millionMonroe County83.4Gilmer County: 79.9 USD millionGilmer County79.9Webster County: 65.6 USD millionWebster County65.6Calhoun County: 51.9 USD millionCalhoun County51.9Pendleton County: 49.9 USD millionPendleton County49.9Clay County: 47.3 USD millionClay County47.3Wirt County: 18.3 USD millionWirt County18.3Kanawha County: 5,107 USD millionKanawha County5,107Monongalia County: 3,105.3 USD millionMonongalia County3,105.3Cabell County: 2,346.1 USD millionCabell County2,346.1Harrison County: 1,878.5 USD millionHarrison County1,878.5Wood County: 1,567 USD millionWood County1,567Berkeley County: 1,524.9 USD millionBerkeley County1,524.9Raleigh County: 1,343.5 USD millionRaleigh County1,343.5Ohio County: 1,315.9 USD millionOhio County1,315.9Putnam County: 1,114.4 USD millionPutnam County1,114.4Marion County: 842.6 USD millionMarion County842.6Mercer County: 779.4 USD millionMercer County779.4Jefferson County: 751.1 USD millionJefferson County751.1Marshall County: 746 USD millionMarshall County746Greenbrier County: 512.1 USD millionGreenbrier County512.1Logan County: 431 USD millionLogan County431Fayette County: 420 USD millionFayette County420Randolph County: 414.6 USD millionRandolph County414.6Hancock County: 399.3 USD millionHancock County399.3Wayne County: 384.9 USD millionWayne County384.9Brooke County: 345.2 USD millionBrooke County345.2Jackson County: 336 USD millionJackson County336Mineral County: 332.2 USD millionMineral County332.2Preston County: 319.7 USD millionPreston County319.7Upshur County: 297 USD millionUpshur County297Lewis County: 285.1 USD millionLewis County285.1Nicholas County: 271.9 USD millionNicholas County271.9Mingo County: 263.2 USD millionMingo County263.2Mason County: 252.1 USD millionMason County252.1Boone County: 237.4 USD millionBoone County237.4Hardy County: 212.3 USD millionHardy County212.3McDowell County: 204.2 USD millionMcDowell County204.2Wyoming County: 196.5 USD millionWyoming County196.5Wetzel County: 161.2 USD millionWetzel County161.2Grant County: 151.7 USD millionGrant County151.7Taylor County: 148 USD millionTaylor County148Ritchie County: 143.2 USD millionRitchie County143.2Pleasants County: 141.6 USD millionPleasants County141.6Braxton County: 137.9 USD millionBraxton County137.9Barbour County: 134.1 USD millionBarbour County134.1Hampshire County: 132.1 USD millionHampshire County132.1Roane County: 116.2 USD millionRoane County116.2Lincoln County: 106.8 USD millionLincoln County106.8Tyler County: 106.6 USD millionTyler County106.6Pocahontas County: 105.7 USD millionPocahontas County105.7Tucker County: 102 USD millionTucker County102Morgan County: 101.7 USD millionMorgan County101.7Doddridge County: 96.3 USD millionDoddridge County96.3Summers County: 87.8 USD millionSummers County87.8Monroe County: 83.4 USD millionMonroe County83.4Gilmer County: 79.9 USD millionGilmer County79.9Webster County: 65.6 USD millionWebster County65.6Calhoun County: 51.9 USD millionCalhoun County51.9Pendleton County: 49.9 USD millionPendleton County49.9Clay County: 47.3 USD millionClay County47.3Wirt County: 18.3 USD millionWirt County18.3
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

RankCounties2017
USD million
Change on 2016
1Kanawha County5,107+1.4%
2Monongalia County3,105.3+7.4%
3Cabell County2,346.1+1.4%
4Harrison County1,878.5+6.7%
5Wood County1,567+2.1%
6Berkeley County1,524.9+6.4%
7Raleigh County1,343.5+5.5%
8Ohio County1,315.9+5.4%
9Putnam County1,114.4+0.1%
10Marion County842.6+4.6%
11Mercer County779.4+2.6%
12Jefferson County751.1+1.1%
13Marshall County746+32.6%
14Greenbrier County512.1+2%
15Logan County431+6%
16Fayette County420+4.9%
17Randolph County414.6+0.9%
18Hancock County399.3+3.5%
19Wayne County384.9+2.4%
20Brooke County345.2+2.7%
21Jackson County336+3.8%
22Mineral County332.2+3.8%
23Preston County319.7+3.8%
24Upshur County297+2.1%
25Lewis County285.1-0.7%
26Nicholas County271.9+0.5%
27Mingo County263.2+12.4%
28Mason County252.1+0.8%
29Boone County237.4+2.2%
30Hardy County212.3+3.9%
31McDowell County204.2+12%
32Wyoming County196.5+0.9%
33Wetzel County161.2+2.3%
34Grant County151.7-4.6%
35Taylor County148+3.2%
36Ritchie County143.2-1.1%
37Pleasants County141.6-0.6%
38Braxton County137.9-1.6%
39Barbour County134.1+8%
40Hampshire County132.1-2.4%
41Roane County116.2+3.8%
42Lincoln County106.8+0.7%
43Tyler County106.6+1.3%
44Pocahontas County105.7+3.8%
45Tucker County102-0.1%
46Morgan County101.7+1.5%
47Doddridge County96.3+34.8%
48Summers County87.8+1.1%
49Monroe County83.4+2.2%
50Gilmer County79.9-3.3%
51Webster County65.6-3.1%
52Calhoun County51.9+10.8%
53Pendleton County49.9-0.5%
54Clay County47.3-2.8%
55Wirt County18.3-2.7%

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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/west-virginia-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_west_virginia_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/west-virginia-counties?period=2017.
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 $5.11 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Wirt County, with $18.3 million in 2017.

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