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Average Salary in Delaware
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Delaware, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 485 occupations in Delaware. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Delaware's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Delaware jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Delaware
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Delaware is dermatologists, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 419.3% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 60 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Delaware pays 1.4% higher for this work. Next on the list are obstetricians and gynecologists at a mean of $239,200+ and cardiologists at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 340 people in Delaware, so they describe the top of the Delaware wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dermatologists | 60 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 180 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Cardiologists | 100 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 60 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, Pathologists | 40 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Radiologists | 220 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Surgeons, All Other | 70 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 80 | $113.82 | $236,740 | $238,660 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 640 | $113.44 | $235,960 | $238,210 |
| Chief Executives | 440 | $91.57 | $190,460 | $233,680 |
| Dentists, General | 360 | $108.02 | $224,690 | $228,740 |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,100 | $111.62 | $232,180 | $223,310 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 70 | $113.85 | $236,800 | $215,760 |
| Pediatricians, General | 250 | $101.60 | $211,340 | $205,530 |
| Sales Managers | 1,070 | $96.68 | $201,090 | $199,560 |
Largest occupations in Delaware
The occupation with the most jobs in Delaware is fast food and counter workers, employing an estimated 13,800 people at a median annual wage of $30,210 and a mean of $31,800. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $30,480, so Delaware's typical pay for this work runs 0.9% lower. The next-largest occupations are retail salespersons (13,470 jobs, median $34,200) and registered nurses (13,260 jobs, median $92,610). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Delaware pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 13,800 | $30,210 | $31,800 |
| Retail Salespersons | 13,470 | $34,200 | $36,420 |
| Registered Nurses | 13,260 | $92,610 | $95,450 |
| Cashiers | 11,880 | $30,920 | $32,060 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 9,750 | $31,760 | $33,480 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 8,910 | $34,560 | $35,780 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 8,220 | $38,630 | $41,550 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 8,040 | $33,750 | $39,820 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,360 | $46,300 | $48,600 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 6,980 | $60,030 | $56,290 |
| Office Clerks, General | 6,710 | $41,600 | $43,910 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 6,480 | $46,710 | $47,400 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 6,120 | $84,560 | $95,150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 6,010 | $73,020 | $78,150 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,950 | $58,510 | $57,660 |
Where Delaware pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Delaware median with its own national median shows where Delaware's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Delaware jobs, the largest premium is for chemists: a median of $125,430 in Delaware versus $84,150 nationally, 49.1% higher. The largest discount is for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, at $49,680 in Delaware versus $59,190 nationally, 16.1% lower. In total, 61 of the 110 occupations with 1,000 or more Delaware jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 173 of the 485 occupations published for Delaware have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Delaware's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Delaware median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemists | $125,430 | $84,150 | +49.1% |
| Sales Managers | $201,090 | $138,060 | +45.7% |
| General and Operations Managers | $136,900 | $102,950 | +33.0% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $60,030 | $46,390 | +29.4% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $98,650 | $76,950 | +28.2% |
| Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | $31,620 | $35,270 | -10.3% |
| Recreation Workers | $31,190 | $35,380 | -11.8% |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | $30,980 | $35,250 | -12.1% |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $31,380 | $37,120 | -15.5% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $49,680 | $59,190 | -16.1% |
Delaware salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Delaware?
By average pay, dermatologists is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Delaware, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Delaware?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Delaware, the largest occupation, fast food and counter workers, paid a median of $30,210 across 13,800 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 485 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Delaware have?
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest occupation published for Delaware, with an estimated 13,800 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $31,800.
Which occupations pay more in Delaware than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Delaware jobs, chemists shows the largest premium: a median of $125,430 in Delaware versus $84,150 nationally, 49.1% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.