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News Release Information

25-1000-PHI
Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Pennsylvania — Fourth Quarter 2024

Employment rose in 15 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Dauphin County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Among the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, employment was highest in Philadelphia (725,500) in December 2024. Together, the 19 largest counties accounted for 75.9 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024

Among the 19 large Pennsylvania counties, 18 reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Cumberland had the largest gain (+8.4 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Pennsylvania’s other 18 large counties ranged from 5.3 percent to -3.9 percent.

Weekly wages in 4 of the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania were above the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,730 in Montgomery to $1,065 in Erie.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 48 small counties in Pennsylvania, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 47 of the 48 smaller counties were below the national average. Montour reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,551). Sullivan reported the lowest average weekly wage ($827) in the state.

Among all 67 Pennsylvania counties, 22 reported average weekly wages of $1,024 or lower, 21 registered wages from $1,025 to $1,124, 8 had wages from $1,125 to $1,224, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,225 or higher. (See map 1. and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Pennsylvania, fourth quarter 2024

U.S. average = $1,507

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 19 largest counties in Pennsylvania, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 -- 1,414 18 4.0 37

Allegheny

36.8 674.2 0.3 221 1,527 79 4.1 193

Berks

9.0 176.8 1.2 80 1,253 244 4.6 153

Bucks

21.7 278.3 1.3 69 1,322 187 3.2 276

Butler

5.5 88.9 1.6 51 1,299 200 -3.9 361

Chester

16.9 252.9 0.2 238 1,673 45 3.3 269

Cumberland

7.1 139.5 -0.1 280 1,294 208 8.4 11

Dauphin

7.6 192.7 1.8 35 1,332 181 3.0 299

Delaware

14.7 221.9 0.5 193 1,438 121 2.1 335

Erie

6.8 119.2 0.3 221 1,065 352 5.1 105

Lackawanna

5.6 99.7 0.6 177 1,069 348 4.6 153

Lancaster

14.8 255.0 1.0 106 1,203 282 3.9 215

Lehigh

9.1 202.7 1.3 69 1,464 103 4.3 177

Luzerne

7.5 147.4 0.5 193 1,108 338 3.9 215

Montgomery

29.4 512.6 0.8 144 1,730 31 4.7 140

Northampton

7.2 122.6 -0.3 301 1,196 288 4.2 184

Philadelphia

34.3 725.5 1.7 43 1,665 47 3.4 256

Washington

5.8 87.6 1.1 91 1,373 160 3.2 276

Westmoreland

9.2 129.6 -0.5 318 1,131 329 3.2 276

York

9.5 184.9 -0.4 313 1,229 264 5.3 89

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Pennsylvania, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

Pennsylvania

395,062 6,076,532 1,414

Adams

2,248 33,082 1,097

Allegheny

36,847 674,215 1,527

Armstrong

1,454 15,455 1,053

Beaver

3,633 48,017 1,151

Bedford

1,258 16,565 1,058

Berks

9,006 176,814 1,253

Blair

3,460 57,829 1,069

Bradford

1,539 22,342 1,220

Bucks

21,692 278,329 1,322

Butler

5,504 88,946 1,299

Cambria

3,320 47,689 1,017

Cameron

160 1,567 1,035

Carbon

1,315 17,373 887

Centre

3,635 68,377 1,240

Chester

16,893 252,936 1,673

Clarion

1,078 12,273 957

Clearfield

2,076 29,390 1,012

Clinton

924 12,591 1,013

Columbia

1,582 24,887 1,000

Crawford

2,142 28,620 1,016

Cumberland

7,074 139,509 1,294

Dauphin

7,632 192,744 1,332

Delaware

14,707 221,868 1,438

Elk

961 13,045 1,067

Erie

6,793 119,176 1,065

Fayette

2,748 37,676 1,009

Forest

148 1,839 1,106

Franklin

3,515 62,170 1,116

Fulton

317 5,396 1,159

Greene

807 11,631 1,352

Huntingdon

1,032 12,539 985

Indiana

1,928 28,002 1,096

Jefferson

1,215 14,356 984

Juniata

581 6,294 958

Lackawanna

5,618 99,705 1,069

Lancaster

14,783 255,045 1,203

Lawrence

2,013 26,974 1,071

Lebanon

2,964 54,181 1,117

Lehigh

9,097 202,738 1,464

Luzerne

7,529 147,384 1,108

Lycoming

3,042 49,803 1,106

Mckean

1,071 13,886 1,017

Mercer

2,871 43,558 1,051

Mifflin

1,102 17,034 1,017

Monroe

3,751 57,400 1,055

Montgomery

29,369 512,623 1,730

Montour

493 17,135 1,551

Northampton

7,221 122,585 1,196

Northumberland

1,826 26,397 1,029

Perry

903 8,076 849

Philadelphia

34,254 725,479 1,665

Pike

1,161 12,087 910

Potter

473 4,800 995

Schuylkill

2,977 50,890 1,076

Snyder

1,009 15,561 920

Somerset

1,880 23,105 1,000

Sullivan

181 1,487 827

Susquehanna

997 8,788 1,015

Tioga

1,007 12,181 996

Union

1,023 17,388 1,188

Venango

1,216 16,089 960

Warren

919 12,674 1,063

Washington

5,756 87,605 1,373

Wayne

1,461 15,074 1,079

Westmoreland

9,218 129,595 1,131

Wyoming

720 9,429 1,206

York

9,478 184,936 1,229

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025