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Average Salary in Idaho
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Idaho, 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 610 occupations in Idaho. 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 Idaho's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Idaho jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Idaho
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Idaho is family medicine physicians, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 375.0% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 1,040 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Idaho pays 25.6% higher for this work. Next on the list are physicians, all other at a mean of $239,200+ and general internal medicine physicians at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 2,210 people in Idaho, so they describe the top of the Idaho wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,040 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, All Other | 860 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 310 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 60 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Surgeons, All Other | 50 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Dentists, General | 690 | $80.08 | $166,560 | $173,570 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 760 | $75.66 | $157,360 | $159,960 |
| Information Security Analysts | 870 | $58.64 | $121,970 | $145,880 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,600 | $71.78 | $149,290 | $144,800 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 930 | $65.59 | $136,440 | $143,410 |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 60 | $65.65 | $136,550 | $140,750 |
| Physicists | 170 | $63.49 | $132,060 | $139,880 |
| Engineers, All Other | 590 | $63.17 | $131,390 | $136,720 |
| Financial Managers | 2,720 | $59.41 | $123,570 | $136,070 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 820 | $61.48 | $127,880 | $135,980 |
Largest occupations in Idaho
The occupation with the most jobs in Idaho is general and operations managers, employing an estimated 30,600 people at a median annual wage of $76,480 and a mean of $91,880. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $102,950, so Idaho's typical pay for this work runs 25.7% lower. The next-largest occupations are fast food and counter workers (24,440 jobs, median $28,450) and customer service representatives (23,520 jobs, median $39,420). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Idaho pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 30,600 | $76,480 | $91,880 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 24,440 | $28,450 | $27,630 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,520 | $39,420 | $42,610 |
| Office Clerks, General | 22,460 | $42,570 | $42,960 |
| Retail Salespersons | 20,670 | $33,400 | $37,050 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 18,580 | $38,270 | $40,010 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 16,960 | $33,560 | $33,720 |
| Cashiers | 16,660 | $30,280 | $30,840 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 14,860 | $53,260 | $55,340 |
| Registered Nurses | 14,540 | $86,100 | $89,770 |
| Construction Laborers | 12,310 | $45,380 | $46,620 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 11,890 | $36,860 | $37,300 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 11,590 | $30,540 | $33,780 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 11,320 | $35,360 | $34,950 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 9,730 | $46,690 | $48,820 |
Where Idaho pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Idaho median with its own national median shows where Idaho's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Idaho jobs, the largest premium is for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders: a median of $46,470 in Idaho versus $40,900 nationally, 13.6% higher. The largest discount is for real estate sales agents, at $37,090 in Idaho versus $56,320 nationally, 34.1% lower. In total, 26 of the 165 occupations with 1,000 or more Idaho jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 176 of the 610 occupations published for Idaho have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Idaho's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Idaho median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $46,470 | $40,900 | +13.6% |
| Industrial Engineers | $112,490 | $101,140 | +11.2% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $65,240 | $59,190 | +10.2% |
| Light Truck Drivers | $47,910 | $44,140 | +8.5% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $84,750 | $78,490 | +8.0% |
| Marketing Managers | $114,410 | $161,030 | -29.0% |
| Bartenders | $22,880 | $33,530 | -31.8% |
| Lawyers | $102,280 | $151,160 | -32.3% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $68,810 | $103,790 | -33.7% |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $37,090 | $56,320 | -34.1% |
Idaho salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Idaho?
By average pay, family medicine physicians is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Idaho, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Idaho?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Idaho, the largest occupation, general and operations managers, paid a median of $76,480 across 30,600 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 610 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Idaho have?
General and Operations Managers is the largest occupation published for Idaho, with an estimated 30,600 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $91,880.
Which occupations pay more in Idaho than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Idaho jobs, packaging and filling machine operators and tenders shows the largest premium: a median of $46,470 in Idaho versus $40,900 nationally, 13.6% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.