Salaries · United States · New Jersey
Salaries in New Jersey 2026
The median pay for all jobs in New Jersey is $58,570 a year ($28.16 an hour), 15% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 9th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in New Jersey earn a median of $75,841 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in New Jersey: the key figures
| Figure | New Jersey | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $58,570 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $78,040 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $34,450 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $142,750 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 4,285,720 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $75,841 ± $344 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $103,556 ± $513 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 108.8 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $15.92 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $58,570, a single person keeps about $47,116 a year ($3,926 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, New Jersey income tax and state payroll contributions. With prices 9% above the US average, $58,570 here buys what $53,800 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $58,570 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,848 |
| Social Security | -$3,631 |
| Medicare | -$849 |
| New Jersey income tax | -$1,688 |
| Unemployment insurance (0.3825%) + Workforce/Supplemental Workforce Fund (0.0425%) | -$190 |
| Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), worker | -$111 |
| Family Leave Insurance (FLI), worker | -$135 |
| Take-home a year | $47,116 |
What drives pay in New Jersey
New Jersey's pay is lifted by drug companies and by a dense logistics network around the Port of New York and New Jersey. Chemical manufacturing, which includes pharmaceuticals, produced 4.1% of the state's GDP in 2025, more than twice the US share of 1.9%, and wholesale trade 9.2% (US 6.3%), according to BEA. Choose New Jersey, a nonprofit that promotes the state to business, says it is home to eight of the top 10 global biopharmaceutical companies and over 5,600 life sciences establishments, and that its port is the busiest on the East Coast, with Amazon, Home Depot and Wakefern among the companies running warehouses and distribution centers in the state.
Both show up in the job counts. There are 10,040 natural sciences managers on a median of $207,030 and 34,470 computer and information systems managers on $203,460. At the other end, hand laborers and freight movers (97,230 jobs) and hand packers and packagers (71,260) are among the most common jobs, on medians of $39,540 and $43,840.
The all-jobs median is $58,570, 15% above the US and 9th of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in New Jersey earn a median of $75,841 (Census), a figure that counts residents wherever they work and leaves out part-timers.
Job growth has slowed. The state labor department reports only 3,600 more jobs in September 2026 than a year earlier: education and health services added 30,000, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 11,200. Unemployment was 4.2%. The minimum wage rises by $0.56 to $16.48 an hour for most employees on 1 January 2027.
The highest-paid jobs in New Jersey
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 2,430 | $310,440 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 3,050 | $292,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | 9,730 | $285,010 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 10,040 | $207,030 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 34,470 | $203,460 |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,280 | $201,560 |
| Financial Managers | 32,510 | $199,110 |
| Psychiatrists | 1,290 | $194,070 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 4,540 | $180,640 |
| Marketing Managers | 13,510 | $180,040 |
| Public Relations Managers | 2,420 | $174,980 |
| Purchasing Managers | 3,430 | $174,520 |
| General and Operations Managers | 53,000 | $173,690 |
| Sales Managers | 20,090 | $173,020 |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,400 | $172,440 |
The most common jobs in New Jersey
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 117,080 | $37,090 | $17.83 |
| Cashiers | 107,680 | $34,590 | $16.63 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 97,230 | $39,540 | $19.01 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 93,730 | $34,150 | $16.42 |
| Registered Nurses | 92,680 | $106,500 | $51.20 |
| Retail Salespersons | 72,530 | $36,520 | $17.56 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 71,260 | $43,840 | $21.08 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 67,660 | $37,630 | $18.09 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 65,960 | $50,260 | $24.16 |
| Office Clerks, General | 65,130 | $48,570 | $23.35 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 64,070 | $37,250 | $17.91 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 59,690 | $47,740 | $22.95 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 55,800 | $44,960 | $21.62 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 55,580 | $37,290 | yearly pay only |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 55,210 | $76,640 | $36.85 |
Pay for careers we cover, in New Jersey
Official BLS medians for New Jersey; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | $291,350 | |
| Commercial Pilot | 670 | $226,710 |
| Dentist | 2,980 | $171,330 |
| Physician Assistant | 4,790 | $165,690 |
| Lawyer | 23,160 | $161,430 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 9,950 | $159,310 |
| Actuary | 1,260 | $142,800 |
| Elevator Technician | 800 | $137,920 |
| Pharmacist | 9,420 | $137,620 |
| Software Engineer | 51,570 | $135,940 |
| Data Scientist | 6,430 | $135,280 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 4,860 | $134,820 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 190 | $132,230 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 3,400 | $126,430 |
| Project Manager | 28,300 | $122,980 |
| Financial Analyst | 10,380 | $108,610 |
| Dental Hygienist | 7,230 | $107,040 |
| Registered Nurse | 92,680 | $106,500 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 1,900 | $105,370 |
| Accountant | 42,250 | $100,830 |
| Compliance Officer | 13,310 | $100,000 |
| UX Designer | 2,170 | $95,310 |
| Plumber | 8,750 | $78,240 |
| Electrician | 13,520 | $77,250 |
| HVAC Technician | 10,330 | $74,450 |
| Paralegal | 12,010 | $71,500 |
| Welder | 3,730 | $59,440 |
New Jersey and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $58,570 | 108.8 | $53,800 |
| Delaware | $52,190 | 99.8 | $52,300 |
| New York | $59,670 | 107.9 | $55,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,900 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in New Jersey, 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
- Choose New Jersey: Life Sciences, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- Choose New Jersey: Logistics, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development: New Jersey Employment Report: September 2026, 15 Oct 2026
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development: New Jersey's Minimum Wage to Increase to $16.48/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1, 29 Sep 2026
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