The average weekly wage in Washington, D.C., increased 1.8 percent from the second quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Nationally, the average weekly wage rose 3.0 percent over the year, as 323 of the largest 342 counties had 12-month increases. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of 75,000 or more as measured by 2014 annual average employment.) Over-the-year weekly wage growth in Washington, D.C., placed 240^th among the nation’s 342 large counties. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the average weekly wage in Washington, D.C., ranked fifth-highest in the nation in the second quarter of 2015, at $1,599. Nationally, weekly wages averaged $968.

Washington, D.C., reported a 1.8-percent increase in employment from June 2014 to June 2015. Nationally, employment rose 2.0 percent during this 12-month period as 319 of the largest 342 U.S. counties gained jobs. Washington, D.C.,’s percent growth in employment ranked 172^nd among the nation’s largest counties. Employment in Washington, D.C., totaled 745,100 in June 2015.

Large county wage changes

Among the 342 largest U.S. counties, Ventura, Calif., had the largest over-the-year increase in average weekly wages (15.2 percent), followed by the counties of Santa Clara, Calif. (11.3 percent) and Forsyth, N.C. (10.9 percent).

Only 16 large counties nationwide experienced over-the-year declines in average weekly wages, led by Olmstead, Minn., with a loss of 5.2 percent. Ector, Texas had the second-largest decline at 5.1 percent, followed by Midland, Texas (-3.2 percent); Hillsborough, N.H. (-2.6 percent); and Lorain, Ohio (-2.1 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Across the United States, average weekly wages were higher than the national average in 102 of the largest 342 counties. Santa Clara, Calif., held the top position with an average weekly wage of $2,109. San Mateo, Calif., was second with an average weekly wage of $1,863, followed by New York, N.Y. ($1,842); San Francisco, Calif. ($1,730); Washington, D.C. ($1,599); and Arlington, Va. ($1,546).

Three of the 10 counties with the highest wages in the United States were located in the Washington metropolitan area (Arlington, Va.; Fairfax, Va.; and Washington, D.C.), and two were in the New York metropolitan area (Fairfield, Conn., and New York, N.Y.). Three other top-paying counties were located in or around the San Francisco metropolitan area (San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, Calif.). Rounding out the top 10 were Suffolk and Middlesex, Mass., which were located in the Boston metropolitan area. (See table 1.)

There were 240 large counties with an average weekly wage below the national average in the second quarter of 2015. The lowest average weekly wage was reported in Horry, S.C. ($568), followed by Cameron, Texas ($586); Hidalgo, Texas ($614); Webb, Texas ($651); Yakima, Wash. ($660); and Lake, Fla. ($665).

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 2. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2014 edition of this publication contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well as selected data from the second quarter 2014 version of the national news release. Tables and additional content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2014 are now available online at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/2014/home.htm. The 2015 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online will be available in September 2016.

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