Average Salary in West Virginia
What workers in West Virginia 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$56,470Rank #49 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$45,300Rank #49 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$27.15Median $21.78/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,775Mean $4,706/month
- Median household income$60,798ACS 2024 · rank #50
- Price level (RPP)89.5US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in West Virginia?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in West Virginia is $56,470, and the median annual wage is $45,300, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 19.1% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 11.1% below the national median of $50,980. West Virginia ranks #49 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #49 for median wage.
The mean is $11,170 (25%) 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 West Virginia earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 701,610 wage and salary jobs in West Virginia (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in West Virginia
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 | $56,470 | $45,300 |
| Monthly | $4,706 | $3,775 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,172 | $1,742 |
| Weekly | $1,086 | $871 |
| Hourly | $27.15 | $21.78 |
Estimate take-home pay on the West Virginia median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in West Virginia?
“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 West Virginia:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $26,070 | $2,172 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $31,530 | $2,628 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $45,300 | $3,775 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $64,940 | $5,412 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $98,220 | $8,185 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $45,300 beats more than half of West Virginia workers, about $64,940 puts you in the top quarter, and $98,220 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in West Virginia
| Measure (ACS 2024) | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,798 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $78,252 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $34,707 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $40,545 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $60,488 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $46,096 | $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 West Virginia have median earnings equal to 76% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in West Virginia
Prices in West Virginia are about 10.5% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 89.5; housing 54.2). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $45,300 is worth $50,615 at national-average prices (rank #42), and the mean wage is worth $63,095 (rank #48). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
West Virginia taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
West Virginia vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $56,470 | $45,300 | 89.5 | $50,615 |
| Kentucky | $58,990 | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,018 |
| Maryland | $77,580 | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,676 |
| Ohio | $64,390 | $49,380 | 92.8 | $53,211 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,730 | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,912 |
| Virginia | $74,040 | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,084 |
Highest-paying occupations in West Virginia
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $390,970 | $471,650 | 360 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $381,470 | $491,230 | 300 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $275,100 | $278,530 | 740 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $260,430 | $272,680 | 320 |
| Physicians, All Other | $228,870 | $258,020 | 1,980 |
| Dentists, General | $200,640 | $170,370 | 420 |
| Chief Executives | $192,840 | $151,950 | 1,700 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $189,160 | $72,680 | 630 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $154,690 | $149,430 | 420 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $141,510 | $139,820 | 1,100 |
Most common jobs in West Virginia and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 23,430 | $80,130 | $38.52 |
| Retail Salespersons | 19,050 | $28,950 | $13.92 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 18,890 | $28,010 | $13.47 |
| Cashiers | 17,360 | $26,370 | $12.68 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 16,490 | $23,120 | $11.12 |
| General and Operations Managers | 15,300 | $82,500 | $39.66 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 12,520 | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 12,190 | $49,480 | $23.79 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 11,300 | $36,990 | $17.79 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,860 | $38,430 | $18.48 |
The largest occupation in West Virginia is registered nurses, with 23,430 jobs and a median wage of $80,130. 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 West Virginia
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in West Virginia?
The average (mean) annual wage in West Virginia is $56,470, or $27.15 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $45,300 a year ($21.78 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in West Virginia?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in West Virginia works out to about $4,706 per month and the median wage to about $3,775 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in West Virginia?
Earning more than the median of $45,300 puts you above half of all workers in West Virginia. A salary of $64,940 or more is in the top 25%, and $98,220 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in West Virginia?
Median household income in West Virginia was $60,798 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 West Virginia have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. West Virginia taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.