Average Salary in West Virginia
Wages, household income and cost-of-living context for West Virginia. All figures from federal releases, vintage 2024.
- Mean annual wage$54,940Rank #49 of 51
- Median annual wage$43,320Rank #49 of 51
- Median household income$60,798ACS 2024 1-year
- Regional price parity89.5US = 100
- Adjusted mean wage$61,385Rank #45 at national prices
- Total employment701,470Wage & salary workers
What the numbers say
The mean of $54,940 is $11,620 (26.8 %) above the median of $43,320, reflecting a right-skewed wage distribution pulled up by high earners.
Prices in West Virginia are about 10.5 % below the national average (RPP 89.5, where US = 100). After the adjustment, every dollar earned in West Virginia buys what $61,385 would buy at national average prices.
Median household income in West Virginia is $60,798 (Census ACS 2024). That figure counts all income to all people in a household — two-earner couples, Social Security, self-employment earnings — and is not directly comparable to the per-worker wage figures above.
Pay for common occupations in West Virginia
Annual mean wage, cross-industry. Blank rows indicate BLS suppression for this state/occupation cell.
| Occupation | SOC | Mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | 29-1051 | $125,530 |
| Marketing Manager | 11-2021 | $122,210 |
| Lawyer | 23-1011 | $117,770 |
| Software Developer | 15-1252 | $107,330 |
| Data Scientist | 15-2051 | $102,770 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 17-2141 | $100,800 |
| Civil Engineer | 17-2051 | $91,880 |
| Project Management Specialist | 13-1082 | $91,340 |
Browse all 20 occupation pages →