Wages by Occupation in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 39,330 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $47,600 for all occupations combined. 199 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

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

26.5% 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 87.7 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 53.2; 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 6,595 residents (6.0% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±612; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 4.5% in 2025, with a labor force of about 45,219 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

26.5% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±2.5), 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	$31,700	$32,485
High school graduate	$38,525	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$44,288	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$59,933	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$77,285	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	25.9% (±5.8)	24.2%
High school graduate	16.3% (±2.0)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.0% (±1.4)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.2% (±1.1)	4.5%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	34.2%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	9.8%	10.0%
Business	14.3%	20.1%
Education	17.9%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	23.7%	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	220	$77,470	$85,110	5.54	0.59
Administrative Services Managers	40	$104,990	$119,750	0.92	0.54
Animal Caretakers	60	$33,810	$35,070	1.57	0.91
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	30	$102,490	$112,340	0.82	1.20
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	50	$46,770	$46,970	1.30	1.36
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	350	$47,280	$50,700	8.79	1.94
Bakers	40	$35,700	$36,360	0.91	0.60
Bartenders	260	$36,170	$44,260	6.51	1.34
Billing and Posting Clerks	100	$45,400	$46,520	2.52	0.97
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	390	$47,100	$49,140	9.89	1.12
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	80	$60,210	$62,700	2.05	1.10
Bus Drivers, School	180	$48,290	$50,190	4.57	1.76
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity	70	$60,620	$62,500	1.66	1.62
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	290	$78,850	$83,460	7.43	1.06
Butchers and Meat Cutters	30	$47,850	$47,810	0.80	0.91
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	100	$72,980	$76,670	2.58	0.82
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	90	$60,570	$67,390	2.40	3.35
Carpenters	270	$57,840	$60,500	6.80	1.58
Cashiers	1,100	$33,040	$33,720	27.88	1.40
Chefs and Head Cooks	40	$62,740	$64,240	1.10	0.86
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	170	$55,710	$63,790	4.26	1.69
Childcare Workers	210	$33,630	$35,010	5.28	1.58
Civil Engineers	130	$94,340	$98,260	3.20	1.35
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	30	$73,920	$73,330	0.76	0.37
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	100	$35,150	$35,730	2.57	1.05
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	60	$81,330	$83,400	1.54	0.72
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	40	$57,160	$56,960	1.06	1.53
Compliance Officers	210	$91,560	$88,610	5.27	1.96
Computer and Information Systems Managers	40	$148,540	$150,210	0.93	0.22
Computer Occupations, All Other	120	$94,740	$99,080	3.08	1.10
Computer Systems Analysts	40	$82,430	$89,780	1.03	0.31
Computer User Support Specialists	130	$60,990	$62,860	3.22	0.70
Construction and Building Inspectors	80	$74,680	$77,330	1.97	2.08
Construction Laborers	290	$48,450	$50,500	7.44	1.05
Construction Managers	40	$103,760	$117,040	0.95	0.39
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	100	$37,830	$41,040	2.52	0.89
Cooks, Restaurant	360	$36,830	$37,820	9.26	1.02
Cooks, Short Order	130	$34,620	$35,270	3.20	3.58
Cost Estimators	60	$80,020	$79,950	1.40	0.97
Counter and Rental Clerks	170	$40,020	$43,990	4.26	1.65
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	70	$46,280	$53,870	1.73	1.50
Customer Service Representatives	420	$39,830	$42,880	10.64	0.64
Dental Assistants	110	$43,010	$43,150	2.72	1.09
Dental Hygienists	70	$81,170	$86,380	1.78	1.24
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	70	$106,110	$100,370	1.90	2.58
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	320	$34,740	$36,510	8.14	2.33
Dishwashers	120	$33,330	$34,280	2.93	0.95
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	60	$46,450	$48,480	1.58	1.21
Driver/Sales Workers	100	$44,930	$44,140	2.61	0.99
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	100	$105,050	$110,520	2.51	1.19
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	130	$60,740	$64,940	3.36	1.48
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	50	$104,410	$103,280	1.20	1.42
Electricians	110	$78,550	$75,450	2.81	0.58
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	440	$62,150	$67,170	11.24	1.26
Emergency Medical Technicians	110	$41,190	$41,270	2.83	2.43
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other	40	$74,120	$78,170	1.09	2.84
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	30	$82,640	$85,380	0.81	1.41
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	180	$74,090	$77,670	4.46	1.51
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	—	$33,340	$36,760	—	—
Fast Food and Counter Workers	1,150	$32,580	$33,990	29.24	1.18
Financial Managers	90	$123,800	$141,370	2.29	0.42
Firefighters	120	$60,700	$61,400	3.09	1.39
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	210	$70,310	$74,380	5.43	1.04
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	50	$90,340	$92,990	1.25	1.96
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	380	$39,610	$43,870	9.63	1.22
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	40	$51,730	$52,050	1.11	0.97
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	30	$49,950	$56,000	0.81	0.96
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	220	$75,010	$78,190	5.62	1.42
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	40	$94,410	$103,490	0.92	0.66
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	270	$60,750	$63,230	6.96	0.75
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	70	$106,750	$106,000	1.79	1.80
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	90	$77,120	$77,380	2.39	0.55
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	330	$48,420	$53,440	8.45	1.17
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	140	$59,020	$61,990	3.48	0.87
Food Preparation Workers	210	$32,390	$34,750	5.26	0.91
Food Service Managers	30	$63,300	$63,390	0.77	0.50
Fundraisers	40	$64,680	$71,880	1.00	1.40
General and Operations Managers	760	$93,870	$110,330	19.34	0.86
General Internal Medicine Physicians	30	$74,680	$173,280	0.83	1.91
Healthcare Social Workers	70	$59,370	$62,950	1.83	1.52
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other	70	$54,950	$53,830	1.67	2.37
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	130	$62,850	$63,230	3.24	1.23
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	410	$55,260	$56,670	10.31	0.78
Highway Maintenance Workers	300	$48,990	$49,880	7.64	7.67
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	1,090	$37,440	$38,830	27.75	1.00
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	110	$32,830	$36,310	2.73	0.98
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	100	$35,010	$35,890	2.59	1.54
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	40	$50,940	$49,240	1.02	1.76
Human Resources Specialists	180	$73,920	$76,710	4.60	0.78
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	60	$59,160	$64,330	1.62	0.57
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	60	$46,090	$44,400	1.65	0.33
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	60	$48,110	$49,970	1.47	0.38
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other	50	$57,720	$56,900	1.21	1.06
Instructional Coordinators	40	$60,280	$65,610	0.92	0.63
Insurance Sales Agents	50	$61,720	$76,970	1.35	0.44
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan	50	$37,790	$39,980	1.22	1.28
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	810	$37,510	$40,010	20.69	1.46
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	50	$60,180	$63,800	1.20	1.71
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	450	$37,280	$39,470	11.56	0.61
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	290	$37,340	$39,410	7.28	1.19
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	60	$33,680	$35,650	1.47	1.16
Lawyers	70	$136,970	$149,190	1.87	0.38
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	80	$57,220	$61,600	2.11	2.46
Library Assistants, Clerical	80	$34,090	$37,170	1.94	3.53
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	360	$60,320	$59,220	9.16	2.20
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers	60	$33,070	$33,850	1.44	1.42
Light Truck Drivers	360	$39,010	$42,860	9.09	1.44
Loan Officers	60	$81,850	$98,240	1.53	0.87
Lodging Managers	30	$77,150	$70,280	0.80	2.91
Logisticians	60	$89,740	$95,450	1.54	0.96
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	250	$34,430	$35,230	6.38	1.15
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	760	$49,100	$51,940	19.38	1.97
Management Analysts	150	$81,590	$89,080	3.85	0.67
Managers, All Other	80	$126,440	$128,480	1.93	0.48
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	120	$59,700	$67,300	3.02	0.52
Mechanical Engineers	50	$97,400	$96,760	1.17	0.61
Medical and Health Services Managers	110	$117,750	$145,560	2.76	0.72
Medical Assistants	70	$39,110	$40,110	1.84	0.35
Medical Records Specialists	70	$50,890	$55,240	1.75	1.40
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	260	$38,140	$40,780	6.68	1.08
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	70	$64,660	$68,150	1.91	2.23
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	50	$39,520	$42,210	1.22	1.15
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	320	$78,600	$73,000	8.07	2.02
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	100	$39,610	$41,500	2.50	0.28
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	50	$55,780	$53,040	1.16	1.90
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	70	$62,890	$62,000	1.76	1.55
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other	90	$52,520	$52,120	2.18	7.22
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians	80	$49,200	$53,080	2.06	13.76
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	50	$75,320	$80,290	1.35	0.67
Nurse Practitioners	70	$133,900	$135,170	1.77	0.85
Nursing Assistants	470	$38,320	$39,620	11.87	1.27
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	50	$94,520	$94,500	1.38	1.53
Occupational Therapists	80	$89,720	$90,540	1.91	1.83
Office Clerks, General	560	$40,820	$43,410	14.35	0.91
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	190	$62,340	$65,800	4.80	1.56
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians	—	$44,070	$44,990	—	—
Opticians, Dispensing	30	$65,870	$65,160	0.79	1.67
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	50	$47,240	$51,010	1.15	0.80
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	50	$56,190	$59,280	1.40	0.55
Paramedics	70	$55,230	$56,770	1.68	2.59
Parts Salespersons	80	$43,470	$44,460	2.02	1.16
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators	90	$46,390	$54,550	2.24	8.34
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	40	$51,630	$51,920	1.04	1.06
Pharmacists	80	$143,250	$141,140	2.08	1.00
Pharmacy Technicians	120	$36,610	$40,680	3.17	1.05
Phlebotomists	40	$38,410	$42,610	1.13	1.22
Physical Therapists	90	$87,200	$90,870	2.18	1.27
Physician Assistants	60	$128,870	$133,420	1.45	1.39
Physicians, All Other	50	$121,040	$186,060	1.18	0.54
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	100	$61,490	$74,000	2.51	0.84
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	230	$79,540	$75,050	5.73	1.33
Postal Service Clerks	60	$59,970	$59,050	1.45	3.06
Postal Service Mail Carriers	120	$61,610	$62,220	2.98	1.41
Power Plant Operators	50	$75,140	$79,290	1.22	6.46
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	60	$36,890	$40,740	1.58	0.51
Procurement Clerks	50	$52,920	$52,560	1.29	3.58
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	110	$52,310	$57,440	2.77	1.10
Project Management Specialists	140	$104,110	$103,970	3.69	0.54
Property Appraisers and Assessors	30	$69,060	$68,880	0.79	2.15
Public Relations Specialists	40	$74,390	$84,400	1.01	0.56
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	80	$82,180	$80,490	2.02	1.36
Receptionists and Information Clerks	230	$36,160	$38,440	5.77	0.99
Recreation Workers	140	$32,410	$36,260	3.47	1.63
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors	30	$51,490	$50,430	0.78	0.82
Registered Nurses	900	$96,070	$96,070	22.91	1.05
Residential Advisors	50	$46,950	$47,040	1.22	2.23
Retail Salespersons	1,490	$34,280	$38,780	37.86	1.51
Sales Managers	70	$143,280	$160,590	1.69	0.41
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	150	$61,210	$70,410	3.76	0.47
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	210	$63,740	$74,590	5.42	0.68
School Bus Monitors	50	$33,290	$34,220	1.28	2.54
School Psychologists	40	$96,490	$95,230	0.93	2.25
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	360	$77,180	$70,310	9.08	1.33
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	500	$46,120	$47,130	12.70	1.16
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	40	$64,150	$79,870	0.96	0.30
Security Guards	200	$42,680	$42,820	5.12	0.62
Self-Enrichment Teachers	100	$48,020	$48,140	2.63	1.23
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	140	$44,740	$46,320	3.54	0.67
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	50	$35,290	$38,360	1.22	0.76
Social and Community Service Managers	100	$76,670	$84,950	2.42	1.80
Social and Human Service Assistants	260	$38,300	$41,580	6.73	2.39
Software Developers	80	$119,350	$117,190	2.03	0.19
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	60	$58,810	$68,470	1.50	0.89
Special Education Teachers, Middle School	50	$63,880	$69,030	1.40	2.28
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	120	$62,110	$69,840	3.15	2.99
Speech-Language Pathologists	80	$90,180	$93,690	2.04	1.73
Stockers and Order Fillers	840	$35,050	$38,330	21.48	1.18
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	150	$48,310	$52,710	3.72	1.18
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	470	$37,810	$43,970	11.92	3.53
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	990	$34,190	$37,930	25.20	2.76
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	40	$69,120	$62,650	1.02	1.13
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	30	$108,670	$89,250	0.84	1.34
Tellers	110	$39,010	$40,720	2.90	1.37
Training and Development Specialists	110	$58,880	$62,500	2.90	0.99
Urban and Regional Planners	40	$86,670	$98,790	1.04	3.67
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians	40	$46,300	$45,880	0.90	1.08
Waiters and Waitresses	710	$38,590	$48,940	18.07	1.24
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	70	$53,690	$54,720	1.71	2.07
Word Processors and Typists	100	$45,810	$46,310	2.64	11.71

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
Jefferson Community College	Public	2-year	2,319
Jefferson Lewis BOCES-Practical Nursing Program	Public	Less than 2-year	23

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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