Home › State salaries › New Jersey
Average Salary in New Jersey
This page shows what jobs actually pay in New Jersey, 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 711 occupations in New Jersey. 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 New Jersey's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which New Jersey jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in New Jersey
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for New Jersey is chief executives, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 584.7% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 2,120 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), New Jersey pays 76.9% higher for this work. Next on the list are orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric at a mean of $239,200+ and ophthalmologists, except pediatric at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 2,970 people in New Jersey, so they describe the top of the New Jersey wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 2,120 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 620 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 230 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, Pathologists | 180 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,320 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 5,820 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 890 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 500 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 770 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $237,350 |
| Physicians, All Other | 7,840 | $114.84 | $238,870 | $233,330 |
| Commercial Pilots | 790 | — | $239,200+ | $229,820 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | 360 | — | $214,630 | $211,960 |
| Financial Managers in New Jersey | 32,370 | $90.74 | $188,750 | $211,620 |
| Neurologists | 190 | $102.50 | $213,200 | $209,890 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 2,210 | $74.79 | $155,570 | $208,350 |
Largest occupations in New Jersey
The occupation with the most jobs in New Jersey is home health and personal care aides, employing an estimated 105,460 people at a median annual wage of $37,080 and a mean of $38,070. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $34,900, so New Jersey's typical pay for this work runs 6.2% higher. The next-largest occupations are laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (101,720 jobs, median $39,050) and registered nurses (95,150 jobs, median $102,730). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of New Jersey pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 105,460 | $37,080 | $38,070 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 101,720 | $39,050 | $41,950 |
| Registered Nurses | 95,150 | $102,730 | $106,990 |
| Cashiers | 93,270 | $33,200 | $34,660 |
| Retail Salespersons | 87,760 | $35,630 | $41,330 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 86,980 | $33,290 | $34,160 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 76,060 | $42,770 | $40,400 |
| Office Clerks, General | 71,140 | $47,980 | $50,390 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 70,780 | $36,800 | $39,250 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 67,590 | $37,320 | $40,000 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 64,950 | $46,740 | $49,300 |
| General and Operations Managers | 63,940 | $149,990 | $182,010 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 60,320 | $49,600 | $51,540 |
| Software Developers | 57,120 | $132,400 | $140,520 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 56,560 | $38,720 | $49,510 |
Where New Jersey pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's New Jersey median with its own national median shows where New Jersey's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 New Jersey jobs, the largest premium is for structural iron and steel workers: a median of $111,800 in New Jersey versus $62,700 nationally, 78.3% higher. The largest discount is for transportation inspectors, at $54,860 in New Jersey versus $85,750 nationally, 36.0% lower. In total, 351 of the 407 occupations with 1,000 or more New Jersey jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 341 of the 711 occupations published for New Jersey have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of New Jersey's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | New Jersey median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $111,800 | $62,700 | +78.3% |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $90,150 | $57,970 | +55.5% |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $94,310 | $60,850 | +55.0% |
| Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | $89,030 | $59,740 | +49.0% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $137,650 | $92,430 | +48.9% |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $49,700 | $57,090 | -12.9% |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $37,490 | $46,060 | -18.6% |
| Interpreters and Translators | $45,120 | $59,440 | -24.1% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $155,570 | $236,350 | -34.2% |
| Transportation Inspectors | $54,860 | $85,750 | -36.0% |
Detailed New Jersey occupation guides
New Jersey salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in New Jersey?
By average pay, chief executives is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for New Jersey, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in New Jersey?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In New Jersey, the largest occupation, home health and personal care aides, paid a median of $37,080 across 105,460 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 711 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in New Jersey have?
Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the largest occupation published for New Jersey, with an estimated 105,460 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $38,070.
Which occupations pay more in New Jersey than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 New Jersey jobs, structural iron and steel workers shows the largest premium: a median of $111,800 in New Jersey versus $62,700 nationally, 78.3% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.