Salaries · United States · Delaware
Salaries in Delaware 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Delaware is $52,190 a year ($25.09 an hour), 2% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 19th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Delaware earn a median of $62,163 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Delaware: the key figures
| Figure | Delaware | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $52,190 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $69,880 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $31,650 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $127,690 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 484,790 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $62,163 ± $595 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $84,954 ± $1,251 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 99.8 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $15.00 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $52,190, a single person keeps about $41,686 a year ($3,474 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Delaware income tax and state payroll contributions. With prices 0% below the US average, $52,190 here buys what $52,300 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $52,190 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,083 |
| Social Security | -$3,236 |
| Medicare | -$757 |
| Delaware income tax | -$2,220 |
| Delaware Paid Leave, employee share (maximum) | -$209 |
| Take-home a year | $41,686 |
What drives pay in Delaware
Finance dominates Delaware's economy. Finance and insurance produced 34.4% of the state's GDP in 2025, the largest share of any state and four times the US share of 8.7%, and credit intermediation, the banking and card-lending category, alone made up 19.7% (BEA). Much of that output is profit rather than wages: finance and insurance pays 15.3% of all employee compensation in the state, still twice the US share of 7.6%, while insurance carriers produce 12.7% of GDP but only 2.0% of compensation.
Corporate law adds a second high-paying cluster. More than 2.28 million business entities, and over two-thirds of the Fortune 500, are incorporated in Delaware, according to the Division of Corporations, and legal services pay 2.9% of the state's compensation against 1.3% nationally. Lawyers earn a median of $173,510 and financial managers $181,580. Hospitals pay 7.6% of compensation, double the US share, and registered nurses are the most common job, 14,290 of them on $99,520.
Those well-paid jobs sit beside a large low-wage service workforce. Retail salespersons, fast food workers, home health aides and cashiers are four of the five most common jobs, all with medians between $31,300 and $35,360. That mix keeps the all-jobs median at $52,190, only 2% above the US and 19th of the 50 states and DC.
The economy is growing fast. Real GDP rose 5.1% in 2025, more than twice the US rate, as finance and insurance output grew 12.6%, and 334,461 new entities were formed in 2025, up more than 15%. In June 2026 the state's advisory council heard that a port project starting construction that month should create about 3,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent ones.
The highest-paid jobs in Delaware
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,370 | $297,470 |
| Financial Managers | 2,810 | $181,580 |
| Lawyers | 2,920 | $173,510 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,140 | $168,500 |
| Managers, All Other | 1,280 | $168,060 |
| Financial Risk Specialists | 1,160 | $139,440 |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,000 | $137,220 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,560 | $134,820 |
| Software Developers | 3,380 | $133,020 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 1,100 | $132,710 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,430 | $131,040 |
| Chemists | 1,200 | $129,860 |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,770 | $122,190 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 2,140 | $110,560 |
| Physical Therapists | 1,260 | $102,050 |
The most common jobs in Delaware
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 14,290 | $99,520 | $47.85 |
| Retail Salespersons | 13,400 | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 13,310 | $31,300 | $15.05 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 11,820 | $34,320 | $16.50 |
| Cashiers | 11,450 | $33,490 | $16.10 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,220 | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 9,040 | $57,590 | $27.69 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,580 | $36,880 | $17.73 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,470 | $48,190 | $23.17 |
| Office Clerks, General | 7,230 | $42,740 | $20.55 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 7,080 | $37,420 | $17.99 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 6,570 | $95,020 | $45.69 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 6,320 | $47,970 | $23.06 |
| Nursing Assistants | 5,530 | $42,030 | $20.21 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 5,480 | $75,220 | $36.17 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Delaware
Official BLS medians for Delaware; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | 2,920 | $173,510 |
| Commercial Pilot | 220 | $163,600 |
| Pharmacist | 790 | $152,880 |
| Physician Assistant | 860 | $139,350 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 720 | $137,030 |
| Software Engineer | 3,380 | $133,020 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,430 | $131,040 |
| Project Manager | 1,770 | $122,190 |
| Financial Analyst | 2,290 | $101,800 |
| Registered Nurse | 14,290 | $99,520 |
| Dental Hygienist | 750 | $98,910 |
| Accountant | 6,570 | $95,020 |
| UX Designer | 130 | $93,880 |
| Compliance Officer | 2,150 | $91,050 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 240 | $83,550 |
| Plumber | 1,590 | $64,720 |
| Electrician | 2,260 | $63,700 |
| Paralegal | 2,480 | $63,110 |
| HVAC Technician | 1,730 | $62,320 |
| Welder | 600 | $57,270 |
Delaware and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $52,190 | 99.8 | $52,300 |
| Maryland | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,700 |
| New Jersey | $58,570 | 108.8 | $53,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,900 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Delaware, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Annual Report Statistics (message from Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez) and 2025 Annual Report, 2025 Annual Report (PDF dated 24 Jun 2026); page accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Delaware Division of Corporations: 2025 Annual Report, PDF dated 24 Jun 2026
- Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC): minutes of the meeting of 15 June 2026, meeting of 15 Jun 2026 (minutes dated 17 Jun 2026)
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States