Jobs, pay and daily life in Highland, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Highland is a city in Utah with 20,119 residents. The median household earns $186,075 a year and the median rent is $2,166 a month, which is 14.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, where BLS counts 304,660 jobs.
How Highland compares. Among the 60 largest places in Utah, Highland is #46 by population, #1 for household income (#1 = highest), #1 for college degrees (#1 = most), #1 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Utah County, is #3 of 29 counties for average pay ($62,648).
Highland has 20,119 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Utah. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,316 people per square mile. The median age is 28.0, 12% younger than the state median (28.0 against 32.0).
The median gross rent is $2,166 a month (rent plus utilities), 45% above the state median ($2,166 against $1,496). Over a year that is 14.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $928,300, which is 5.0 times the median household income ($186,075). 91.7% of households own their home, 30% above the state average (91.7% against 70.2%).
The Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area has 304,660 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,010 a year, 6% below the national median ($48,010 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (36,520 jobs, median $44,150); sales and related (25,370 jobs, median $38,390); food preparation and serving related (24,520 jobs, median $30,080). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.8 times) and computer and mathematical (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($119,110) and computer and mathematical ($103,310). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Utah County was 3.3%. 63.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Utah County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 64.3% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 2.5% walk, 23.3% work from home. 8.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 17% below the state average (8.6% against 10.3%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
64.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 71% above the state share (64.4% against 37.7%). 3.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 62% below the state share (3.4% against 8.9%). The poverty rate is 1.9%, 78% below the state rate (1.9% against 8.5%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-3.9°C). About 542 mm (21 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (68 mm) and Jul the driest (19 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: American Fork (3 miles, rent 22% lower); Lehi (4 miles, rent 9% lower); Pleasant Grove (5 miles, rent 22% lower); Draper (6 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Highland; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Utah (798) →State guide: UtahCountry guideUtah CountyUtah rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 798 federal postings open in Utah (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 12,060 | 1.60 | $28,710 | $21,850 | $36,460 | -8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 8,710 | 1.14 | $33,120 | $26,080 | $48,180 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,910 | 1.15 | $95,790 | $47,600 | $211,550 | -9% |
| Software Developers | 7,870 | 2.38 | $131,210 | $77,080 | $195,260 | -4% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 7,780 | 1.53 | $39,560 | $30,030 | $58,410 | -12% |
| Office Clerks, General | 6,540 | 1.35 | $43,080 | $27,920 | $63,340 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 4,840 | 1.12 | $31,190 | $24,440 | $44,010 | -15% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,770 | 0.72 | $81,780 | $70,670 | $106,330 | -16% |
| Construction Laborers | 4,760 | 2.22 | $46,640 | $26,880 | $61,960 | -1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,660 | 0.84 | $37,480 | $29,330 | $45,640 | +0% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 4,650 | 1.89 | $61,220 | $38,590 | $117,900 | -13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 4,590 | 0.79 | $37,600 | $32,300 | $49,320 | -7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,200 | 0.50 | $35,310 | $30,270 | $44,510 | -1% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,730 | 1.34 | $36,770 | $29,550 | $47,890 | -0% |
| Cashiers | 3,650 | 0.60 | $31,600 | $24,070 | $39,060 | -4% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,420 | 1.26 | $62,930 | $49,040 | $98,020 | -2% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 3,270 | 1.86 | $62,960 | $37,850 | $129,070 | -20% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 3,260 | 1.16 | $65,530 | $43,920 | $110,590 | -6% |
| Carpenters | 3,080 | 2.35 | $53,230 | $37,190 | $74,600 | -12% |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 3,040 | 2.16 | $59,390 | $40,290 | $94,550 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 640 | 0.96 | $357,080 | $107,040 | $388,680 | +34% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,850 | 1.41 | $168,730 | $106,180 | $276,170 | -4% |
| Marketing Managers | 1,560 | 2.02 | $158,630 | $82,390 | $234,080 | -5% |
| Financial Managers | 1,300 | 0.79 | $154,990 | $87,000 | $243,120 | -7% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,690 | 1.39 | $141,860 | $73,260 | $241,230 | -0% |
| Sales Managers | 1,660 | 1.33 | $135,210 | $74,150 | $254,600 | -9% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 520 | 0.82 | $133,860 | $105,380 | $166,190 | +1% |
| Software Developers | 7,870 | 2.38 | $131,210 | $77,080 | $195,260 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 950 | 0.64 | $130,370 | $75,880 | $350,980 | -18% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 770 | 1.19 | $130,320 | $80,870 | $177,430 | +23% |
| Industrial Engineers | 790 | 1.10 | $112,440 | $73,700 | $149,580 | +10% |
| Data Scientists | 840 | 1.63 | $103,340 | $57,700 | $174,990 | -14% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 840 | 0.72 | $102,420 | $57,060 | $185,140 | -17% |
| Construction Managers | 1,190 | 1.60 | $99,490 | $57,110 | $149,990 | -13% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 540 | 0.53 | $98,970 | $57,410 | $139,970 | -6% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | 630 | 0.89 | $97,520 | $58,130 | $138,150 | -5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,910 | 1.15 | $95,790 | $47,600 | $211,550 | -9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 830 | 0.97 | $93,100 | $44,200 | $166,920 | -20% |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | 730 | 5.59 | $88,810 | $41,540 | $127,400 | +33% |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,800 | 1.34 | $88,180 | $49,750 | $148,830 | -14% |
These figures are for the whole Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,010 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 22.1% |
| Education and health care | 19.1% |
| Retail trade | 11.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 10.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.0% |
| Construction | 6.8% |
| Manufacturing | 6.5% |
| Information | 3.2% |
| Other services | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Public administration | 0.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Highland lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah County | 705,400 | $47,943 million | $67,966 | 295,152 | 22,527 | $62,648 | +1.5% | 3.3% | 369,791 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 38,035 | 14.6% | $50,663 | 0.90 |
| Retail trade | 33,782 | 12.9% | $41,571 | 1.15 |
| Construction | 30,256 | 11.6% | $68,326 | 1.95 |
| Professional and technical services | 25,613 | 9.8% | $110,094 | 1.25 |
| Accommodation and food services | 23,940 | 9.2% | $21,331 | 0.89 |
| Manufacturing | 23,681 | 9.1% | $68,948 | 0.98 |
| Administrative and waste services | 17,149 | 6.6% | $51,628 | 0.99 |
| Educational services | 14,024 | 5.4% | $65,018 | 2.30 |
| Information | 12,724 | 4.9% | $135,649 | 2.30 |
| Finance and insurance | 8,567 | 3.3% | $91,480 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,190 | 2.8% | $43,147 | 0.81 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,147 | 2.7% | $89,077 | 0.61 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,231 | 2.0% | $58,051 | 0.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 4,669 | 1.8% | $23,938 | 0.94 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,888 | 1.5% | $62,608 | 0.85 |
| Management of companies | 2,924 | 1.1% | $86,925 | 0.59 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,245 | 0.5% | $44,457 | 0.52 |
| Utilities | 501 | 0.2% | $102,194 | 0.45 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 301 | 0.1% | $83,598 | 0.27 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 2.5% |
| Work from home | 23.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $186,075 |
| Income per person | $62,900 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,166 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 14.0% |
| Median home value | $928,300 |
| Homeowners | 91.7% |
| Poverty rate | 1.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 98.2 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,010 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 28.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 98.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 64.4% |
| Born abroad | 3.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.9 | 25 | 56 |
| Feb | -1.5 | 29 | 47 |
| Mar | 3.4 | 38 | 54 |
| Apr | 7.1 | 45 | 63 |
| May | 12.9 | 55 | 54 |
| Jun | 19.3 | 67 | 27 |
| Jul | 24.7 | 76 | 19 |
| Aug | 23.2 | 74 | 26 |
| Sep | 17.6 | 64 | 38 |
| Oct | 9.6 | 49 | 44 |
| Nov | 2.5 | 36 | 46 |
| Dec | -3.9 | 25 | 68 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Fork | UT | 3 mi | 37,109 | $98,878 | $1,697 |
| Lehi | UT | 4 mi | 85,173 | $131,299 | $1,964 |
| Pleasant Grove | UT | 5 mi | 37,852 | $101,073 | $1,689 |
| Draper | UT | 6 mi | 50,278 | $128,910 | $1,894 |
| Lindon | UT | 7 mi | 11,765 | $120,956 | $1,563 |
| Bluffdale | UT | 8 mi | 18,797 | $129,531 | $1,915 |
| Saratoga Springs | UT | 9 mi | 48,425 | $128,802 | $2,256 |
| Vineyard | UT | 9 mi | 14,446 | $103,380 | $1,834 |
| Orem | UT | 10 mi | 97,182 | $83,342 | $1,438 |
| Sandy | UT | 10 mi | 94,291 | $112,176 | $1,777 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
20,119 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,166 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 14.0% of the median household income.
$186,075 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.3% (BLS county, Utah County (latest month 2026M09)).
Utah. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.