Salaries · United States · West Virginia
Salaries in West Virginia 2026
The median pay for all jobs in West Virginia is $45,300 a year ($21.78 an hour), 11% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 49th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in West Virginia earn a median of $52,506 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in West Virginia: the key figures
| Figure | West Virginia | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $45,300 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $56,470 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $26,070 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $98,220 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 701,610 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $52,506 ± $507 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $59,608 ± $691 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 89.5 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $8.75 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $45,300, a single person keeps about $37,333 a year ($3,111 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, West Virginia income tax. With prices 11% below the US average, $45,300 here buys what $50,600 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $45,300 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,256 |
| Social Security | -$2,809 |
| Medicare | -$657 |
| West Virginia income tax | -$1,246 |
| Take-home a year | $37,333 |
What drives pay in West Virginia
West Virginia's economy is moving from mines to hospitals. Mining produced 13.9% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 1.3% for the US, with coal and other non-oil mining at 7.7% and oil and gas at 5.5% (BEA). But mining and logging employed just 20,400 people in 2025, down from 33,500 in 2012, according to BLS payroll figures published by the St. Louis Fed, while health care and social assistance grew from 115,600 to 138,000 jobs over the same years. Hospitals now make up 5.4% of GDP, more than twice the US share, and WVU Medicine describes itself as the state's largest private employer, with over 47,000 staff across 30 hospitals in four states.
The jobs list shows that shift. Registered nurses are the single most common job in West Virginia, 23,430 of them on a median of $80,130, and nurse practitioners earn $127,320. Many other common jobs pay far less: home health and personal care aides (18,890) have a median of $28,010, and fast food cooks $23,120.
The all-jobs median is $45,300, 11% below the US and 49th of the 50 states and DC, and the median household income is $59,608 (Census), against $80,734 nationally.
The state has fewer jobs than it did in 2012: 717,500 in 2025 against 729,000. Real GDP grew 2.8% in 2025, faster than the US at 2.3%, but only 10.1% since 2019, against 15.6% nationally.
The highest-paid jobs in West Virginia
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 | 1,980 | $258,020 |
| Chief Executives | 1,700 | $151,950 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,100 | $139,820 |
| Pharmacists | 2,260 | $133,430 |
| Physician Assistants | 1,080 | $128,610 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,550 | $127,320 |
| Managers, All Other | 3,640 | $124,940 |
| Software Developers | 2,650 | $121,000 |
| Financial Managers | 2,610 | $113,140 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 2,080 | $112,010 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 1,000 | $111,760 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 3,380 | $107,140 |
| Lawyers | 2,440 | $102,420 |
| Management Analysts | 1,740 | $97,470 |
| Physical Therapists | 1,310 | $96,600 |
The most common jobs in West Virginia
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 23,430 | $80,130 | $38.52 |
| Retail Salespersons | 19,050 | $28,950 | $13.92 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 18,890 | $28,010 | $13.47 |
| Cashiers | 17,360 | $26,370 | $12.68 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 16,490 | $23,120 | $11.12 |
| General and Operations Managers | 15,300 | $82,500 | $39.66 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 12,520 | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 12,190 | $49,480 | $23.79 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 11,300 | $36,990 | $17.79 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 9,860 | $38,430 | $18.48 |
| Office Clerks, General | 9,430 | $35,020 | $16.84 |
| Nursing Assistants | 9,390 | $36,720 | $17.66 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,340 | $30,980 | $14.90 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 8,820 | $40,370 | $19.41 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 8,600 | $35,380 | $17.01 |
Pay for careers we cover, in West Virginia
Official BLS medians for West Virginia; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 740 | $278,530 |
| Dentist | 420 | $170,370 |
| Pharmacist | 2,260 | $133,430 |
| Physician Assistant | 1,080 | $128,610 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 2,550 | $127,320 |
| Software Engineer | 2,650 | $121,000 |
| Commercial Pilot | 40 | $105,950 |
| Lawyer | 2,440 | $102,420 |
| Project Manager | 2,520 | $91,780 |
| Data Scientist | 390 | $85,090 |
| Registered Nurse | 23,430 | $80,130 |
| Dental Hygienist | 1,250 | $73,840 |
| Accountant | 4,900 | $73,320 |
| UX Designer | 200 | $71,880 |
| Financial Analyst | 400 | $69,030 |
| Electrician | 4,290 | $64,810 |
| Compliance Officer | 1,720 | $64,270 |
| Paralegal | 1,660 | $59,000 |
| Plumber | 1,830 | $56,980 |
| HVAC Technician | 1,690 | $48,850 |
| Welder | 2,100 | $48,810 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 590 | $45,470 |
West Virginia and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $45,300 | 89.5 | $50,600 |
| Kentucky | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,000 |
| Maryland | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,700 |
| Ohio | $49,380 | 92.8 | $53,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,690 | 97.6 | $50,900 |
| Virginia | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in West Virginia, 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
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics State and Area Employment (CES), West Virginia, annual averages, not seasonally adjusted, annual data to 2025, accessed 31 Oct 2026
- WVU Medicine: About Us, undated page, accessed 31 Oct 2026
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