Wages by Occupation in Asheville, NC

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Asheville, NC metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 180,620 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $46,870 for all occupations combined. 425 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

Who lives in the Asheville, NC area and what they earn, by education, from federal survey data (not a measure of any one employer or college).

42.5% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.0), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 96.5 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 93.4; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024; estimates are revised). A higher number means prices are higher on average, not that the area is better or worse.

About 20,863 residents (5.2% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±1,258; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 4.5% in 2025, with a labor force of about 207,231 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

40.1% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±2.4), compared with 39.6% nationally (Table B15001).

Median yearly earnings by education, adults 25 and over who have earnings

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	$27,111	$32,485
High school graduate	$32,642	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$41,737	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$52,193	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$68,307	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	29.8% (±3.1)	24.2%
High school graduate	14.8% (±1.3)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.1% (±1.0)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.1% (±0.6)	4.5%

Unemployment rate by education, ages 25 to 64

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	8.4% (±2.4)	7.7%
High school graduate	4.5% (±1.0)	5.9%
Some college or associate's degree	4.3% (±1.4)	4.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.4% (±0.5)	2.8%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	34.3%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	9.6%	10.0%
Business	16.9%	20.1%
Education	12.2%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	26.9%	23.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Tables B15003, B20004 (earnings shown only when the margin of error is at most 20% of the value), B23006 (unemployment shown only when every margin is at most 3 points), B17003 (margins of error at the 90% level; poverty shown only when every margin is at most 8 points) and C15010 (the Census Bureau’s own field groups, in a fixed order, not ranked). Describes residents of the area, not a prediction for any person; the Census Bureau has not endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Wages by occupation

Occupation	Jobs	Median annual wage	Mean annual wage	Jobs per 1,000 jobs here	Concentration vs. U.S.
Accountants and Auditors	1,540	$80,400	$89,480	8.51	0.91
Administrative Services Managers	210	$98,560	$110,890	1.19	0.70
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors	130	$51,330	$51,530	0.70	2.93
Advertising Sales Agents	70	$52,560	$62,680	0.39	0.67
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	350	$28,810	$30,210	1.95	0.76
Anesthesiologists	80	$239,200 or more	$239,200 or more	0.43	1.73
Animal Caretakers	570	$33,530	$35,980	3.17	1.85
Animal Trainers	50	$36,970	$44,600	0.26	2.13
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	120	$103,100	$103,950	0.66	0.96
Architectural and Civil Drafters	140	$59,560	$63,890	0.79	1.18
Architectural and Engineering Managers	200	$160,140	$162,930	1.13	0.80
Art Directors	50	$72,710	$74,360	0.25	0.74
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	110	$50,920	$54,240	0.61	1.01
Athletic Trainers	50	$52,610	$55,150	0.28	1.42
Audio and Video Technicians	90	$49,280	$50,940	0.51	1.13
Audiologists	—	$83,450	$101,640	—	—
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants	170	$32,090	$34,080	0.94	1.43
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	200	$49,740	$54,070	1.08	1.13
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	950	$47,900	$52,480	5.28	1.16
Baggage Porters and Bellhops	30	$35,580	$35,040	0.18	1.01
Bakers	560	$36,270	$35,730	3.10	2.04
Bartenders	1,240	$35,380	$40,220	6.84	1.41
Bill and Account Collectors	120	$42,460	$43,390	0.68	0.66
Billing and Posting Clerks	200	$47,830	$48,550	1.10	0.42
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary	50	$60,220	$63,670	0.30	0.92
Biological Scientists, All Other	50	$94,520	$97,200	0.28	0.77
Biological Technicians	30	$52,440	$56,940	0.17	0.38
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	2,200	$48,870	$49,850	12.20	1.38
Brickmasons and Blockmasons	30	$48,310	$49,200	0.19	0.56
Broadcast Technicians	30	$45,100	$50,540	0.18	1.31
Budget Analysts	50	$76,400	$82,770	0.27	0.88
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	320	$57,170	$59,380	1.78	0.96
Bus Drivers, School	260	$38,620	$39,190	1.47	0.57
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	1,170	$66,720	$74,600	6.48	0.93
Business Teachers, Postsecondary	130	$64,260	$70,260	0.70	1.32
Butchers and Meat Cutters	200	$40,500	$40,570	1.12	1.27
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	530	$67,600	$75,650	2.91	0.92
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters	80	$45,970	$49,550	0.43	0.87
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary	240	$61,470	$63,390	1.32	1.80
Carpenters	750	$51,290	$52,620	4.14	0.96
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	—	$78,990	$78,610	—	—
Cashiers	4,240	$29,400	$30,340	23.45	1.18
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	140	$44,860	$43,920	0.75	0.57
Chefs and Head Cooks	290	$60,390	$62,210	1.63	1.26
Chemical Technicians	30	$55,720	$58,740	0.17	0.47
Chemists	40	$66,910	$74,940	0.20	0.38
Chief Executives	50	$270,520	$327,640	0.29	0.22
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	550	$59,680	$59,810	3.04	1.20
Childcare Workers	520	$32,150	$33,450	2.88	0.86
Chiropractors	50	$100,850	$107,860	0.28	1.08
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians	150	$61,430	$63,730	0.85	1.94
Civil Engineers	400	$100,170	$105,240	2.20	0.93
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	80	$73,920	$77,240	0.42	0.20
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	380	$34,540	$33,850	2.11	0.86
Clergy	70	$60,790	$61,750	0.39	1.05
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	100	$99,070	$123,280	0.57	1.16
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	410	$57,220	$60,130	2.29	1.07
Coaches and Scouts	360	$44,890	$47,540	1.98	1.23
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	210	$45,940	$47,450	1.14	1.11
Commercial and Industrial Designers	50	$81,070	$81,600	0.28	1.28
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	170	$57,020	$58,590	0.95	1.38
Community Health Workers	70	$48,950	$49,950	0.40	1.00
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	120	$60,980	$68,380	0.69	0.96
Compliance Officers	260	$71,230	$80,180	1.45	0.54
Computer and Information Systems Managers	420	$163,290	$167,180	2.33	0.54
Computer Network Architects	140	$101,420	$109,670	0.75	0.65
Computer Network Support Specialists	—	$101,650	$90,060	—	—
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators	160	$50,440	$54,130	0.90	0.83
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers	40	$61,110	$65,510	0.20	1.11
Computer Occupations, All Other	310	$99,350	$102,620	1.74	0.62
Computer Programmers	—	$77,460	$83,150	—	—
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	50	$63,860	$67,930	0.30	1.31
Computer Systems Analysts	300	$89,400	$100,290	1.64	0.49
Computer User Support Specialists	530	$58,640	$59,550	2.91	0.63
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers	110	$47,350	$47,780	0.63	1.49
Concierges	80	$39,190	$36,330	0.42	1.34
Conservation Scientists	60	$65,170	$76,000	0.33	1.95
Construction and Building Inspectors	280	$62,320	$66,490	1.55	1.64
Construction Laborers	1,340	$47,520	$46,470	7.43	1.05
Construction Managers	470	$105,040	$115,580	2.58	1.06
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	50	$63,630	$64,460	0.30	0.97
Cooks, Fast Food	2,570	$28,120	$28,010	14.24	3.45
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	430	$37,550	$38,680	2.36	0.83
Cooks, Restaurant	2,480	$36,590	$37,000	13.75	1.52
Correctional Officers and Jailers	280	$50,850	$51,950	1.54	0.63
Cost Estimators	330	$75,000	$77,990	1.84	1.27
Counter and Rental Clerks	670	$40,740	$44,870	3.69	1.43
Couriers and Messengers	200	$38,980	$40,210	1.10	2.49
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	190	$58,730	$58,180	1.05	0.91
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	40	$58,510	$57,580	0.23	2.70
Crossing Guards and Flaggers	70	$35,300	$35,820	0.40	0.67
Customer Service Representatives	2,850	$38,980	$41,560	15.79	0.95
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	110	$47,750	$47,060	0.61	2.12
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	80	$47,230	$48,370	0.43	0.39
Data Entry Keyers	130	$40,380	$44,800	0.73	0.90
Data Scientists	130	$97,690	$106,770	0.71	0.42
Database Administrators	40	$96,370	$110,380	0.20	0.43
Database Architects	50	$110,910	$116,290	0.26	0.59
Demonstrators and Product Promoters	90	$39,020	$43,010	0.52	1.25
Dental Assistants	560	$56,680	$53,650	3.09	1.24
Dental Hygienists	300	$101,170	$99,200	1.64	1.14
Dental Laboratory Technicians	70	$50,440	$54,760	0.39	1.78
Dentists, General	140	$202,630	$198,590	0.75	0.94
Dermatologists	—	$239,200 or more	$239,200 or more	—	—
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	140	$62,460	$74,700	0.78	1.05
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	120	$81,920	$83,220	0.69	1.19
Dietetic Technicians	50	$31,460	$34,550	0.26	1.25
Dietitians and Nutritionists	130	$74,380	$73,450	0.69	1.39
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	580	$28,700	$28,130	3.22	0.92
Dishwashers	540	$31,860	$32,280	2.96	0.97
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	180	$49,310	$49,650	1.01	0.78
Driver/Sales Workers	560	$35,390	$38,120	3.10	1.18
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	60	$46,340	$47,210	0.33	0.61
Editors	100	$66,210	$82,810	0.58	0.98
Education Administrators, All Other	50	$86,460	$100,000	0.27	0.77
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	410	$79,770	$83,860	2.24	1.06
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	160	$97,730	$110,810	0.88	0.76
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	90	$61,230	$67,540	0.52	1.11
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	50	$62,790	$62,100	0.30	0.76
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other	60	$47,580	$49,700	0.34	0.44
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	350	$55,700	$55,230	1.96	0.86
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians	70	$72,440	$74,950	0.41	0.67
Electrical Engineers	300	$123,480	$112,330	1.68	1.31
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	150	$80,220	$78,560	0.84	1.00
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers	850	$44,700	$41,980	4.70	2.96
Electricians	860	$54,590	$56,720	4.77	0.98
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	110	$91,240	$95,900	0.59	0.94
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	1,450	$50,080	$52,240	8.01	0.90
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	330	$50,570	$53,080	1.83	1.84
Emergency Medical Technicians	140	$43,690	$46,260	0.77	0.67
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	50	$76,090	$73,970	0.28	0.74
Engineers, All Other	—	$105,840	$118,740	—	—
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	80	$52,750	$53,300	0.46	1.23
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	70	$64,060	$86,910	0.39	1.61
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	190	$72,960	$79,760	1.03	1.79
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	30	$58,710	$54,330	0.19	0.84
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	250	$59,440	$64,110	1.41	0.48
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	380	$47,910	$49,540	2.12	1.02
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	170	$50,880	$52,570	0.96	2.45
Facilities Managers	170	$101,190	$107,560	0.92	0.91
Family Medicine Physicians	90	$212,710	$202,820	0.52	0.75
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers	30	$100,610	$160,590	0.18	4.21
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	130	$36,070	$36,190	0.71	0.42
Fast Food and Counter Workers	3,850	$28,810	$29,430	21.31	0.86
File Clerks	60	$39,640	$42,140	0.33	0.70
Financial Managers	450	$152,270	$170,100	2.51	0.46
Financial Specialists, All Other	120	$78,790	$84,060	0.67	0.79
Firefighters	890	$37,450	$39,250	4.92	2.21
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	1,080	$73,720	$73,750	5.96	1.14
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services	160	$48,360	$51,030	0.90	1.35
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers	30	$61,290	$57,190	0.19	1.07
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	220	$58,490	$66,470	1.20	1.89
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	1,800	$44,960	$47,080	9.95	1.26
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	270	$46,550	$50,220	1.48	1.28
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	180	$56,900	$57,270	1.01	1.20
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	800	$73,100	$75,340	4.42	1.11
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	330	$82,650	$98,600	1.83	1.33
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	1,380	$59,880	$63,580	7.63	0.83
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	150	$46,490	$49,190	0.81	1.11
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	130	$81,670	$90,000	0.74	0.74
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	840	$70,470	$73,740	4.64	1.07
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	1,660	$49,410	$55,490	9.19	1.27
First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers	60	$61,500	$59,640	0.34	0.65
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	810	$58,080	$60,410	4.48	1.12
Floral Designers	60	$40,760	$41,730	0.34	1.30
Food Batchmakers	80	$34,390	$35,760	0.46	0.41
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other	150	$30,450	$33,040	0.85	1.57
Food Preparation Workers	1,250	$32,110	$32,980	6.91	1.20
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	420	$35,040	$34,750	2.33	1.23
Food Service Managers	400	$73,090	$74,740	2.23	1.45
Forensic Science Technicians	40	$51,050	$55,000	0.22	1.77
Forest and Conservation Technicians	40	$64,000	$65,450	0.23	1.19
Fundraisers	200	$65,440	$72,260	1.11	1.56
Fundraising Managers	60	$110,810	$119,720	0.35	1.40
Funeral Attendants	100	$36,040	$37,840	0.54	2.72
Funeral Home Managers	30	$82,200	$105,990	0.19	2.12
General and Operations Managers	2,590	$93,470	$116,280	14.33	0.64
General Internal Medicine Physicians	340	$225,830	$269,980	1.86	4.31
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	30	$99,160	$102,590	0.18	1.21
Glaziers	50	$47,150	$49,950	0.30	0.79
Graphic Designers	240	$56,760	$59,390	1.30	1.02
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	90	$50,400	$51,110	0.51	1.18
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	330	$40,620	$44,160	1.84	0.93
Health Education Specialists	70	$57,620	$64,950	0.37	0.88
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	40	$47,370	$64,460	0.23	0.95
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	150	$76,230	$90,330	0.83	0.58
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	230	$51,040	$59,000	1.28	1.09
Healthcare Social Workers	310	$61,650	$63,810	1.74	1.44
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other	150	$48,950	$53,720	0.84	1.19
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	660	$58,120	$57,540	3.67	1.39
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	2,040	$51,750	$55,180	11.29	0.85
Helpers--Electricians	340	$39,590	$41,590	1.89	4.62
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers	130	$40,420	$40,940	0.72	1.17
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	140	$43,040	$41,470	0.78	2.74
Helpers--Production Workers	80	$45,280	$42,870	0.42	0.40
Highway Maintenance Workers	150	$49,960	$50,330	0.82	0.82
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	2,280	$33,280	$33,810	12.61	0.46
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	600	$30,090	$29,910	3.31	1.19
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	600	$35,280	$33,130	3.35	1.99
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	110	$46,360	$47,550	0.62	1.07
Human Resources Managers	150	$125,420	$137,690	0.82	0.58
Human Resources Specialists	910	$70,210	$79,770	5.01	0.85
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians	130	$63,620	$69,230	0.72	1.47
Industrial Engineers	500	$100,490	$98,630	2.75	1.17
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	530	$66,510	$68,370	2.91	1.03
Industrial Production Managers	360	$125,140	$132,990	1.97	1.25
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	700	$47,010	$45,540	3.89	0.78
Information and Record Clerks, All Other	200	$54,950	$55,810	1.12	1.29
Information Security Analysts	200	$149,350	$134,950	1.10	0.90
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	790	$49,010	$52,860	4.35	1.13
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other	180	$45,310	$47,250	1.01	0.90
Instructional Coordinators	240	$62,930	$63,810	1.35	0.92
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks	60	$46,740	$48,160	0.31	0.23
Insurance Sales Agents	520	$49,810	$64,730	2.88	0.94
Interior Designers	—	$60,160	$62,380	—	—
Interpreters and Translators	80	$41,580	$50,390	0.46	1.37
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan	40	$39,830	$42,230	0.24	0.25
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	2,010	$35,720	$35,530	11.13	0.78
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers	50	$53,450	$54,960	0.25	1.73
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	110	$59,980	$56,760	0.63	0.90
Labor Relations Specialists	30	$73,280	$78,560	0.18	0.44
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	3,360	$38,440	$40,290	18.61	0.98
Landscape Architects	90	$81,260	$81,560	0.48	3.79
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	1,320	$38,030	$41,160	7.29	1.19
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	310	$35,120	$34,300	1.74	1.37
Lawyers	470	$105,480	$135,480	2.63	0.54
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	—	$44,130	$44,330	—	—
Legal Support Workers, All Other	40	$54,950	$77,600	0.21	0.71
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	140	$58,870	$59,240	0.75	0.88
Library Assistants, Clerical	110	$37,180	$37,700	0.60	1.09
Library Technicians	30	$44,520	$42,970	0.19	0.43
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	860	$65,470	$65,610	4.77	1.14
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other	30	$63,130	$62,910	0.17	0.36
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	70	$29,120	$27,770	0.40	0.40
Light Truck Drivers	1,430	$40,980	$44,010	7.93	1.25
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	90	$58,110	$55,220	0.51	0.48
Loan Officers	190	$76,070	$81,260	1.03	0.58
Lodging Managers	100	$73,490	$74,510	0.54	1.96
Logisticians	180	$79,700	$86,810	1.02	0.63
Machine Feeders and Offbearers	70	$38,130	$39,650	0.37	1.37
Machinists	850	$53,110	$54,440	4.71	2.55
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	50	$82,250	$83,480	0.26	0.92
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	1,720	$30,680	$32,720	9.53	1.72
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service	30	$39,100	$37,290	0.19	0.53
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	1,740	$47,360	$49,040	9.61	0.98
Maintenance Workers, Machinery	240	$61,740	$60,880	1.35	3.50
Management Analysts	610	$75,990	$98,560	3.37	0.58
Managers, All Other	580	$124,150	$131,600	3.24	0.81
Manicurists and Pedicurists	60	$34,780	$41,160	0.33	0.34
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	850	$63,760	$75,540	4.71	0.81
Marketing Managers	160	$150,610	$154,810	0.90	0.35
Marriage and Family Therapists	170	$35,990	$46,060	0.96	2.24
Massage Therapists	130	$47,780	$51,620	0.70	1.11
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary	60	$53,820	$60,550	0.32	1.05
Mechanical Drafters	80	$59,270	$57,550	0.44	1.72
Mechanical Engineers	330	$108,630	$121,630	1.80	0.95
Medical and Health Services Managers	750	$122,710	$132,140	4.15	1.08
Medical Assistants	1,470	$44,420	$43,610	8.15	1.55
Medical Equipment Preparers	120	$43,540	$44,900	0.69	1.38
Medical Equipment Repairers	60	$39,310	$45,710	0.31	0.74
Medical Records Specialists	270	$44,280	$48,110	1.50	1.20
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	60	$96,510	$121,310	0.35	0.32
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	3,000	$41,520	$44,220	16.63	2.69
Medical Transcriptionists	40	$39,190	$41,500	0.21	0.77
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	230	$49,590	$54,830	1.29	1.40
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	160	$63,400	$65,510	0.90	1.06
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	290	$41,150	$43,640	1.62	1.53
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1,020	$57,510	$52,550	5.64	1.42
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	1,610	$44,570	$44,960	8.92	0.99
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	40	$53,330	$53,440	0.25	0.40
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	130	$64,200	$66,230	0.71	0.62
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	580	$40,170	$43,630	3.19	3.30
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers	80	$62,380	$64,400	0.44	2.73
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other	60	$31,780	$33,960	0.35	1.15
Motorcycle Mechanics	30	$51,000	$54,600	0.17	1.92
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	70	$45,720	$49,210	0.37	0.46
Natural Sciences Managers	80	$133,470	$148,840	0.43	0.62
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	370	$95,230	$100,460	2.08	1.03
New Accounts Clerks	120	$49,980	$53,470	0.65	2.75
Nurse Anesthetists	150	$223,630	$209,220	0.82	2.45
Nurse Practitioners	520	$127,770	$127,820	2.90	1.39
Nursing Assistants	2,590	$40,170	$41,500	14.31	1.54
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary	110	$82,280	$82,780	0.62	1.24
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	140	$81,740	$86,800	0.75	0.83
Occupational Therapists	210	$83,660	$86,560	1.14	1.09
Occupational Therapy Assistants	70	$72,840	$68,960	0.41	1.23
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	270	$48,940	$51,510	1.52	1.23
Office Clerks, General	2,510	$45,180	$45,330	13.87	0.88
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	510	$47,970	$50,070	2.83	0.92
Opticians, Dispensing	70	$49,110	$54,840	0.41	0.87
Optometrists	40	$167,980	$162,950	0.23	0.82
Order Clerks	140	$44,690	$46,390	0.80	1.65
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics	80	$44,040	$47,280	0.42	1.80
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	460	$42,060	$41,990	2.56	1.05
Packers and Packagers, Hand	820	$37,690	$37,380	4.54	1.26
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	210	$42,970	$44,720	1.16	0.80
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	150	$46,940	$46,820	0.84	1.35
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	590	$57,500	$60,290	3.29	1.30
Paramedics	280	$63,480	$61,910	1.53	2.37
Parking Attendants	140	$34,670	$34,490	0.80	0.90
Parts Salespersons	390	$34,490	$39,780	2.15	1.24
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators	100	$50,720	$48,150	0.53	1.96
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	120	$54,290	$53,580	0.67	0.68
Pediatricians, General	80	$170,140	$173,700	0.46	1.82
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other	30	$32,420	$33,930	0.17	0.45
Personal Financial Advisors	230	$102,150	$125,790	1.29	0.75
Pest Control Workers	150	$46,050	$45,870	0.84	1.27
Pharmacists	520	$136,460	$136,320	2.88	1.39
Pharmacy Technicians	680	$45,160	$45,000	3.76	1.24
Phlebotomists	180	$39,770	$42,080	1.01	1.10
Photographers	160	$35,120	$41,110	0.90	2.69
Physical Scientists, All Other	70	$100,690	$108,670	0.40	2.78
Physical Therapist Aides	60	$35,420	$43,760	0.32	1.04
Physical Therapist Assistants	140	$63,860	$64,410	0.80	1.11
Physical Therapists	300	$99,480	$98,710	1.64	0.96
Physician Assistants	460	$131,260	$133,670	2.54	2.44
Physicians, All Other	1,020	$360,010	$316,270	5.64	2.56
Pipelayers	160	$46,840	$47,570	0.86	4.07
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	460	$59,200	$56,120	2.53	0.84
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	710	$58,090	$57,320	3.94	0.91
Postal Service Clerks	80	$69,700	$67,240	0.44	0.92
Postal Service Mail Carriers	410	$62,070	$63,190	2.29	1.08
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other	110	$76,230	$83,030	0.60	0.62
Prepress Technicians and Workers	40	$49,920	$51,620	0.22	1.41
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	610	$35,890	$38,390	3.37	1.10
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	30	$38,540	$41,670	0.18	0.87
Printing Press Operators	190	$47,440	$48,470	1.03	1.11
Private Detectives and Investigators	50	$53,900	$50,720	0.29	1.28
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	120	$63,060	$60,730	0.65	1.14
Procurement Clerks	60	$46,240	$47,830	0.32	0.88
Producers and Directors	170	$62,880	$71,200	0.92	1.00
Production Workers, All Other	580	$42,810	$46,400	3.21	1.98
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	520	$53,300	$56,310	2.89	1.15
Project Management Specialists	950	$97,470	$98,050	5.28	0.77
Property Appraisers and Assessors	180	$77,730	$76,020	0.99	2.70
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	330	$59,120	$65,710	1.83	0.92
Protective Service Workers, All Other	50	$48,030	$52,410	0.27	0.51
Psychiatrists	50	$164,520	$195,500	0.27	1.49
Psychologists, All Other	60	$152,550	$138,860	0.31	2.56
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	40	$63,560	$63,880	0.21	0.78
Public Relations Managers	50	$103,440	$107,580	0.29	0.60
Public Relations Specialists	400	$58,970	$67,760	2.22	1.22
Public Safety Telecommunicators	110	$46,550	$46,640	0.62	0.94
Purchasing Managers	50	$116,040	$139,030	0.28	0.52
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	410	$72,680	$73,670	2.27	1.53
Radiologists	—	$239,200 or more	$239,200 or more	—	—
Real Estate Sales Agents	—	$45,640	$53,890	—	—
Receptionists and Information Clerks	750	$36,000	$35,920	4.14	0.71
Recreation Workers	410	$36,820	$39,420	2.25	1.06
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	220	$45,520	$43,010	1.20	1.26
Registered Nurses	4,680	$81,590	$89,130	25.91	1.19
Rehabilitation Counselors	190	$39,670	$45,410	1.07	1.75
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks	210	$44,250	$48,850	1.17	1.53
Residential Advisors	170	$40,300	$41,500	0.94	1.73
Respiratory Therapists	150	$81,550	$80,680	0.81	0.90
Retail Salespersons	5,570	$34,110	$35,400	30.86	1.23
Roofers	110	$49,680	$51,090	0.58	0.67
Sales Engineers	60	$111,250	$117,610	0.31	0.92
Sales Managers	450	$121,670	$138,410	2.48	0.60
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	1,490	$57,840	$69,070	8.28	1.02
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	1,670	$63,920	$78,870	9.22	1.16
School Psychologists	40	$64,020	$68,640	0.21	0.52
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1,080	$59,320	$57,360	5.96	0.87
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	1,550	$44,240	$45,080	8.60	0.78
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	480	$58,010	$77,170	2.66	0.84
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	90	$48,690	$51,630	0.49	0.89
Security Guards	700	$36,820	$39,820	3.88	0.47
Self-Enrichment Teachers	370	$46,110	$47,770	2.07	0.97
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	210	$50,310	$50,840	1.19	3.08
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	100	$47,280	$49,000	0.55	2.76
Sewing Machine Operators	320	$37,210	$36,250	1.75	2.59
Sheet Metal Workers	110	$51,790	$55,340	0.58	0.76
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	800	$45,210	$45,760	4.43	0.84
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	260	$30,920	$32,520	1.46	0.91
Skincare Specialists	100	$39,420	$49,650	0.57	1.21
Social and Community Service Managers	270	$79,860	$87,650	1.49	1.11
Social and Human Service Assistants	390	$43,110	$44,250	2.17	0.77
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	40	$76,400	$84,590	0.20	0.82
Social Workers, All Other	130	$94,930	$89,240	0.70	1.74
Software Developers	780	$134,350	$142,150	4.34	0.40
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	100	$114,510	$112,790	0.57	0.47
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	80	$49,030	$54,960	0.47	0.28
Special Education Teachers, Middle School	—	$59,090	$55,720	—	—
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	50	$55,490	$54,350	0.30	0.28
Speech-Language Pathologists	290	$85,040	$86,550	1.63	1.38
Stockers and Order Fillers	3,980	$37,120	$38,560	22.01	1.21
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	680	$53,090	$55,430	3.78	1.19
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	540	$34,060	$36,120	2.99	0.88
Surgical Technologists	160	$65,450	$65,450	0.86	1.14
Surveying and Mapping Technicians	150	$52,400	$52,970	0.84	2.25
Surveyors	100	$74,030	$78,770	0.56	1.72
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service	50	$40,590	$41,510	0.29	1.33
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers	50	$39,150	$38,440	0.29	3.23
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents	40	$58,630	$64,820	0.25	0.68
Tax Preparers	80	$47,930	$57,430	0.43	0.87
Teachers and Instructors, All Other	70	$59,700	$56,710	0.39	0.53
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	1,270	$29,600	$33,260	7.01	0.77
Technical Writers	60	$68,180	$75,290	0.35	1.21
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	160	$61,000	$68,270	0.87	0.96
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	110	$58,190	$60,350	0.61	0.97
Tellers	210	$44,850	$44,290	1.18	0.55
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other	40	$36,230	$38,860	0.24	2.74
Tile and Stone Setters	50	$49,190	$50,080	0.29	1.27
Tire Repairers and Changers	110	$39,250	$38,320	0.61	0.88
Tool and Die Makers	130	$60,950	$62,190	0.70	1.91
Tour and Travel Guides	200	$38,450	$37,070	1.13	3.29
Training and Development Managers	40	$108,660	$115,110	0.24	0.77
Training and Development Specialists	570	$59,950	$64,730	3.17	1.08
Transportation Security Screeners	90	$55,530	$56,900	0.50	1.54
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	210	$100,280	$110,490	1.14	0.80
Tree Trimmers and Pruners	—	$56,720	$53,630	—	—
Tutors	190	$43,980	$44,430	1.03	0.92
Urban and Regional Planners	80	$77,950	$79,850	0.43	1.52
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers	150	$27,320	$27,690	0.82	1.04
Veterinarians	190	$130,330	$133,690	1.03	1.92
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians	140	$46,990	$46,890	0.78	0.94
Waiters and Waitresses	3,250	$34,450	$39,780	17.98	1.23
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	90	$50,740	$52,970	0.52	0.63
Web and Digital Interface Designers	60	$80,530	$100,900	0.32	0.44
Web Developers	60	$79,530	$82,850	0.31	0.68
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping	50	$47,800	$46,850	0.25	0.74
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	290	$52,540	$54,760	1.63	0.61
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	40	$58,450	$57,980	0.20	0.98
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	80	$39,530	$38,370	0.43	1.08
Writers and Authors	90	$70,280	$67,960	0.47	1.53

Colleges in this area

10 colleges in the federal directory have a campus in this area, listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank colleges. Each name links to the college’s profile.

College	Type	Level	Students, fall 2024
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	Public	2-year	6,510
Blue Ridge Community College	Public	2-year	2,723
Carolina College of Hair Design Inc	Private for-profit	Less than 2-year	46
Center for Massage	Private for-profit	Less than 2-year	51
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts	Private for-profit	4-year or above	102
Galen Health Institutes-Asheville	Private for-profit	4-year or above	253
Mars Hill University	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	1,110
Montreat College	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	962
University of North Carolina Asheville	Public	4-year or above	3,056
Warren Wilson College	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	791

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS directory (HD 2024, core-based statistical area of the campus) and Fall Enrollment 2024 (total headcount). A count of students is the size of the college, not its quality; the Department has not endorsed this presentation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan area estimates (cross-industry, all ownerships). Wages are pay for all workers in an occupation in this area, not any one person or employer; a dash means BLS does not publish the figure (often to protect privacy or because the estimate is unreliable), and “or more” marks a wage at or above BLS’s top reporting limit. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of jobs in this area divided by its share nationally (1.00 = the same share as the U.S.; above 1.00 = a larger share); it says nothing about pay or openings. Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's jobs per 1,000 jobs of all kinds in this area. Occupations that BLS reports only as hourly wages are not listed, and BLS shows some wages above its top limit as plain numbers while others read “or more”. Occupations are listed alphabetically; click a heading to sort. MajorPays does not rank places or occupations. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice. See Data sources.

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