Average Salary in Delaware
What workers in Delaware earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$69,880Rank #18 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$52,190Rank #19 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$33.60Median $25.09/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,349Mean $5,823/month
- Median household income$87,534ACS 2024 · rank #14
- Price level (RPP)99.8US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Delaware?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Delaware is $69,880, and the median annual wage is $52,190, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 0.2% above the national mean of $69,770; the median is 2.4% above the national median of $50,980. Delaware ranks #18 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #19 for median wage.
The mean is $17,690 (34%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Delaware earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 484,790 wage and salary jobs in Delaware (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Delaware
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $69,880 | $52,190 |
| Monthly | $5,823 | $4,349 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,688 | $2,007 |
| Weekly | $1,344 | $1,004 |
| Hourly | $33.60 | $25.09 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Delaware median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Delaware?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Delaware:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $31,650 | $2,638 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $37,300 | $3,108 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $52,190 | $4,349 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $81,560 | $6,797 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $127,690 | $10,641 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $52,190 beats more than half of Delaware workers, about $81,560 puts you in the top quarter, and $127,690 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Delaware
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Delaware | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,534 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $105,622 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $45,438 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $46,579 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $65,194 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $57,209 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Delaware have median earnings equal to 88% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Delaware
Prices in Delaware are about 0.2% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 99.8; housing 102.0). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $52,190 is worth $52,295 at national-average prices (rank #27), and the mean wage is worth $70,020 (rank #18). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Delaware taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Delaware vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $69,880 | $52,190 | 99.8 | $52,295 |
| Maryland | $77,580 | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,676 |
| New Jersey | $78,040 | $58,570 | 108.8 | $53,833 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,730 | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,912 |
Highest-paying occupations in Delaware
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $277,630 | $199,990 | 390 |
| Physicians, All Other | $243,890 | $297,470 | 1,370 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $226,230 | $228,000 | 640 |
| Financial Managers | $203,890 | $181,580 | 2,810 |
| Lawyers | $199,970 | $173,510 | 2,920 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $190,950 | $168,500 | 2,140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $180,960 | $181,190 | 560 |
| Managers, All Other | $177,690 | $168,060 | 1,280 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $166,210 | $134,820 | 1,560 |
| Human Resources Managers | $166,100 | $153,890 | 580 |
Most common jobs in Delaware and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 14,290 | $99,520 | $47.85 |
| Retail Salespersons | 13,400 | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 13,310 | $31,300 | $15.05 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 11,820 | $34,320 | $16.50 |
| Cashiers | 11,450 | $33,490 | $16.10 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,220 | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 9,040 | $57,590 | $27.69 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,580 | $36,880 | $17.73 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,470 | $48,190 | $23.17 |
| Office Clerks, General | 7,230 | $42,740 | $20.55 |
The largest occupation in Delaware is registered nurses, with 14,290 jobs and a median wage of $99,520. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Delaware
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Delaware?
The average (mean) annual wage in Delaware is $69,880, or $33.60 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $52,190 a year ($25.09 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Delaware?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Delaware works out to about $5,823 per month and the median wage to about $4,349 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Delaware?
Earning more than the median of $52,190 puts you above half of all workers in Delaware. A salary of $81,560 or more is in the top 25%, and $127,690 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Delaware?
Median household income in Delaware was $87,534 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Delaware have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Delaware taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.