The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
County Employment and Wages in Indiana — Fourth Quarter 2024
Employment rose in 4 of the 9 largest counties in Indiana from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that Marion County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Indiana, December 2024
County
Percent change, December 2024
Marion
1.4
Hamilton
1.0
Lake
0.6
St. Joseph
0.2
Allen
0.0
Tippecanoe
0.0
Hendricks
-0.3
Vanderburgh
-1.2
Elkhart
-2.4
Among the nine largest counties in Indiana, employment was highest in Marion (629,900) in December 2024. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 53.7 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
All nine large Indiana counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Hendricks had the largest gain (+5.8 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Indiana’s other eight large counties ranged from 5.0 percent to 3.2 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Indiana, fourth quarter 2024
County
Percent change, fourth quarter 2024
Hendricks
5.8
St. Joseph
5.0
Marion
4.6
Elkhart
4.1
Vanderburgh
4.1
Allen
4.0
Hamilton
3.5
Tippecanoe
3.5
Lake
3.2
Weekly wages in all large counties in Indiana were below the national average of $1,507. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,463 in Marion to $1,063 in Hendricks.
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 83 small counties in Indiana, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 82 of the 83 smaller counties were below the national average. Martin reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,556). Ohio reported the lowest average weekly wage ($770) in the state.
Among all 92 Indiana counties, 23 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 30 registered wages from $975 to $1,049, 14 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, and 25 had average weekly wages of $1,125 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Indiana, 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.
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 nine largest counties in Indiana, fourth quarter 2024
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 Indiana, fourth quarter 2024
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
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.
United States Department of Labor
