Wages by Occupation in Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 36,280 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $42,000 for all occupations combined. 164 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

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

23.6% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.3), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 87.1 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 45.9; 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 2,906 residents (3.4% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±378; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 4.4% in 2025, with a labor force of about 38,190 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

25.4% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±3.4), 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	$24,142	$32,485
High school graduate	$34,041	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$42,834	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$56,123	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$73,192	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	32.9% (±4.2)	24.2%
High school graduate	16.7% (±1.5)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	11.3% (±1.8)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.9% (±1.1)	4.5%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	25.6%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	10.9%	10.0%
Business	25.5%	20.1%
Education	20.9%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	17.0%	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	550	$100,420	$97,200	15.27	1.64
Administrative Services Managers	80	$85,190	$95,980	2.24	1.32
Amusement and Recreation Attendants	30	$25,080	$25,720	0.96	0.38
Animal Caretakers	70	$27,850	$30,990	1.84	1.07
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	60	$47,050	$48,050	1.60	1.66
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	330	$37,250	$42,960	9.00	1.99
Bartenders	190	$29,100	$37,490	5.21	1.07
Billing and Posting Clerks	120	$38,430	$40,700	3.44	1.32
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	400	$44,980	$46,630	10.92	1.24
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	60	$43,680	$47,510	1.53	0.82
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	190	$63,470	$76,010	5.24	0.75
Butchers and Meat Cutters	40	$31,600	$32,110	1.07	1.22
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	60	$87,410	$83,190	1.74	0.55
Carpenters	170	$47,090	$48,510	4.64	1.08
Cashiers	950	$26,510	$26,340	26.12	1.31
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	70	$51,950	$47,340	2.01	1.52
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	330	$66,060	$76,710	9.12	10.16
Chief Executives	60	$174,980	$194,180	1.76	1.34
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	90	$52,220	$52,870	2.59	1.03
Childcare Workers	90	$27,620	$27,090	2.37	0.71
Civil Engineers	80	$70,250	$77,050	2.25	0.95
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	—	$70,180	$75,320	—	—
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	80	$29,250	$29,520	2.08	0.85
Compliance Officers	40	$63,430	$81,220	1.13	0.42
Computer and Information Systems Managers	30	$152,860	$144,730	0.86	0.20
Computer Occupations, All Other	350	$106,330	$108,920	9.69	3.46
Computer User Support Specialists	70	$55,910	$60,750	1.92	0.42
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers	40	$44,230	$45,240	1.14	2.69
Construction Laborers	340	$41,650	$43,480	9.35	1.33
Construction Managers	30	$92,670	$105,470	0.91	0.37
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	30	$79,840	$75,170	0.95	3.07
Cooks, Fast Food	1,120	$22,780	$24,170	30.89	7.49
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	180	$29,000	$30,040	4.97	1.75
Cooks, Restaurant	410	$29,700	$29,240	11.27	1.24
Cost Estimators	30	$74,990	$75,210	0.85	0.59
Counter and Rental Clerks	130	$33,880	$36,520	3.55	1.38
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	60	$38,640	$38,050	1.75	1.52
Customer Service Representatives	330	$37,190	$41,010	9.04	0.54
Dental Assistants	70	$36,820	$40,100	1.81	0.73
Dental Hygienists	70	$74,190	$70,040	1.80	1.26
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	70	$27,500	$31,990	1.83	0.52
Dishwashers	110	$26,720	$26,350	2.95	0.96
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	30	$37,440	$43,440	0.96	0.74
Driver/Sales Workers	190	$30,740	$36,510	5.13	1.95
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	60	$79,530	$79,870	1.79	0.85
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	50	$60,420	$56,080	1.46	0.64
Electricians	140	$59,550	$58,690	3.98	0.82
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	230	$55,140	$54,880	6.38	0.71
Fast Food and Counter Workers	330	$23,260	$26,130	9.12	0.37
Financial Managers	160	$129,780	$143,070	4.39	0.81
Financial Specialists, All Other	340	$97,470	$94,170	9.32	10.96
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	160	$71,220	$72,350	4.38	0.84
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	400	$30,100	$34,990	10.89	1.38
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	30	$43,630	$44,730	0.83	0.72
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	140	$61,650	$70,670	3.94	0.99
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	40	$57,540	$60,990	1.09	0.79
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	330	$56,800	$59,470	9.22	1.00
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	190	$59,910	$71,380	5.35	1.24
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	500	$40,450	$43,590	13.65	1.89
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	160	$49,380	$53,320	4.33	1.08
Food Preparation Workers	160	$27,370	$27,740	4.45	0.77
Food Service Managers	90	$47,840	$53,420	2.37	1.55
Funeral Attendants	40	$29,040	$31,180	1.15	5.73
Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers	60	$21,880	$23,240	1.65	11.90
General and Operations Managers	740	$81,660	$99,830	20.52	0.91
Graphic Designers	30	$39,250	$47,620	0.85	0.67
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	80	$30,490	$38,840	2.32	1.18
Healthcare Social Workers	70	$63,460	$67,580	1.91	1.59
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	90	$45,600	$45,750	2.50	0.95
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	540	$47,050	$50,230	15.02	1.13
Helpers--Production Workers	40	$37,420	$38,860	1.20	1.13
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	1,270	$26,920	$27,760	35.05	1.27
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	130	$23,950	$25,300	3.55	1.28
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	60	$50,140	$50,940	1.60	2.76
Human Resources Specialists	440	$94,520	$93,040	12.21	2.08
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	200	$93,670	$83,880	5.46	1.93
Industrial Production Managers	90	$129,500	$131,630	2.61	1.65
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	80	$46,120	$42,680	2.14	0.43
Information and Record Clerks, All Other	30	$49,730	$48,260	0.90	1.03
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	120	$62,630	$79,820	3.42	0.89
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks	50	$44,860	$44,220	1.51	1.10
Insurance Sales Agents	90	$56,840	$62,240	2.40	0.78
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan	110	$36,490	$36,760	3.13	3.29
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	410	$30,670	$32,230	11.39	0.80
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	570	$36,330	$35,990	15.83	0.83
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	150	$32,760	$34,400	4.26	0.70
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	90	$28,710	$30,130	2.50	1.96
Lawyers	100	$97,460	$111,410	2.86	0.59
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	40	$48,900	$49,470	1.13	1.13
Library Technicians	30	$44,310	$45,590	0.94	2.12
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	250	$57,030	$56,040	7.01	1.68
Light Truck Drivers	180	$38,970	$45,140	5.04	0.80
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	60	$37,680	$40,760	1.52	1.44
Loan Officers	80	$59,180	$63,520	2.24	1.27
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	270	$27,880	$28,450	7.56	1.37
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	330	$39,330	$44,820	9.21	0.94
Management Analysts	120	$108,890	$107,180	3.31	0.57
Managers, All Other	120	$140,390	$135,270	3.28	0.82
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	60	$46,020	$55,130	1.68	0.29
Mechanical Engineers	70	$109,370	$107,690	1.87	0.98
Medical and Health Services Managers	100	$103,590	$136,630	2.63	0.69
Medical Assistants	260	$37,180	$37,850	7.28	1.38
Medical Records Specialists	50	$38,840	$42,940	1.45	1.16
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	60	$38,080	$39,760	1.77	0.29
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	50	$33,280	$36,290	1.49	1.40
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	510	$40,100	$40,370	14.12	1.56
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	60	$47,280	$49,340	1.69	1.49
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	30	$71,670	$91,330	0.88	0.44
Nurse Practitioners	170	$126,550	$122,640	4.75	2.29
Nursing Assistants	400	$36,220	$36,660	10.94	1.17
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	30	$91,950	$89,250	0.94	1.04
Occupational Therapists	40	$96,040	$94,600	1.08	1.03
Office Clerks, General	390	$33,110	$34,490	10.87	0.69
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	330	$47,450	$48,840	9.13	2.97
Opticians, Dispensing	30	$38,120	$39,760	0.83	1.75
Packers and Packagers, Hand	40	$27,700	$26,920	1.16	0.32
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	200	$76,400	$73,110	5.49	2.17
Parts Salespersons	130	$37,530	$40,930	3.56	2.05
Pharmacists	100	$130,310	$124,740	2.73	1.32
Pharmacy Technicians	150	$38,210	$38,510	4.17	1.38
Physical Therapist Assistants	60	$57,790	$58,350	1.70	2.36
Physical Therapists	90	$96,170	$94,700	2.39	1.39
Physician Assistants	60	$125,290	$125,740	1.69	1.62
Physicians, All Other	50	$267,690	$260,560	1.34	0.61
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	50	$49,580	$55,260	1.26	0.42
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	130	$55,540	$53,470	3.58	0.83
Postal Service Mail Carriers	130	$56,300	$60,030	3.64	1.72
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	130	$35,470	$38,000	3.56	1.16
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	40	$53,440	$55,720	1.06	1.84
Production Workers, All Other	240	$36,380	$36,740	6.59	4.07
Project Management Specialists	90	$98,470	$106,670	2.51	0.37
Property Appraisers and Assessors	30	$47,560	$53,560	0.83	2.27
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	40	$47,860	$59,090	1.19	0.59
Public Safety Telecommunicators	40	$29,910	$35,720	1.12	1.70
Receptionists and Information Clerks	330	$31,880	$32,540	8.97	1.53
Recreation Workers	40	$27,900	$29,050	0.98	0.46
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	30	$38,250	$39,150	0.86	0.91
Registered Nurses	910	$79,000	$82,760	24.99	1.15
Rehabilitation Counselors	30	$28,670	$33,540	0.89	1.47
Residential Advisors	60	$30,880	$31,990	1.72	3.15
Retail Salespersons	1,580	$28,220	$30,090	43.58	1.74
Sales Managers	70	$74,200	$94,500	2.00	0.49
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	130	$49,460	$60,070	3.48	0.43
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	110	$61,240	$71,730	3.16	0.40
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	410	$39,080	$41,480	11.25	1.02
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	60	$48,190	$57,960	1.70	0.54
Security Guards	160	$29,730	$33,210	4.47	0.54
Sheet Metal Workers	60	$73,030	$67,890	1.67	2.17
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	130	$39,520	$41,240	3.59	0.68
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	70	$23,340	$26,530	1.91	1.19
Social and Community Service Managers	50	$61,370	$64,760	1.51	1.12
Social and Human Service Assistants	220	$37,990	$39,080	5.97	2.12
Speech-Language Pathologists	30	$81,930	$83,400	0.90	0.77
Stockers and Order Fillers	830	$33,410	$34,050	22.91	1.26
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	60	$45,770	$49,380	1.59	4.73
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	160	$48,490	$51,120	4.28	1.35
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	460	$49,630	$50,450	12.68	3.76
Surgical Assistants	30	$48,120	$52,370	0.90	6.29
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	210	$29,500	$30,440	5.82	0.64
Tellers	150	$29,520	$31,130	4.25	2.00
Training and Development Specialists	70	$79,290	$75,510	1.90	0.64
Waiters and Waitresses	610	$35,290	$38,360	16.84	1.15
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	60	$51,210	$50,330	1.72	2.08
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	90	$49,330	$51,550	2.51	0.94

Colleges in this area

2 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
West Virginia University at Parkersburg	Public	4-year or above	2,728
Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing	Public	Less than 2-year	31

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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