Jobs, pay and daily life in Laurel, 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.
Laurel is a city in Maryland with 29,798 residents. The median household earns $100,504 a year and the median rent is $1,873 a month, which is 22.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,136,190 jobs.
How Laurel compares. Among the 80 largest places in Maryland, Laurel is #44 by population, #71 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #50 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #34 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Prince George's County, is #6 of 24 counties for average pay ($73,373).
Laurel has 29,798 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Maryland. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,261 people per square mile. The median age is 36.3, 8% younger than the state median (36.3 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $1,873 a month (rent plus utilities), 10% above the state median ($1,873 against $1,705). Over a year that is 22.4% 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 $385,500, which is 3.8 times the median household income ($100,504); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 44.2% of households own their home, 35% below the state average (44.2% against 67.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area has 3,136,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $71,060 a year, 39% above the national median ($71,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (369,190 jobs, median $105,260); management (319,760 jobs, median $165,010); office and administrative support (290,050 jobs, median $53,250). The area is most specialised in legal (2.6 times) and computer and mathematical (2.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are legal ($175,070) and management ($165,010). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Prince George's County was 4.0%. 77.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Prince George's County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 65.1% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 17.1% work from home. 25.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 5% above the state average (25.5% against 24.2%).
47.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10% above the state share (47.6% against 43.5%). 32.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 98% above the state share (32.9% against 16.6%). The poverty rate is 9.0%, 5% below the state rate (9.0% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 32°F (0.1°C). About 1,152 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (118 mm) and Jan the driest (67 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: South Laurel (2 miles, similar rent); North Laurel (2 miles, rent 8% higher); Maryland City (3 miles, rent 29% higher); Beltsville (5 miles, rent 5% higher). Rent differences are against Laurel; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Maryland (655) →State guide: MarylandCountry guidePrince George's CountyMaryland 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 655 federal postings open in Maryland (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Maryland →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 112,530 | 1.59 | $156,460 | $67,600 | $291,420 | +48% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 76,600 | 3.49 | $104,770 | $59,010 | $184,020 | +26% |
| Software Developers | 69,060 | 2.03 | $154,930 | $96,450 | $213,660 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 66,920 | 0.85 | $36,610 | $30,640 | $47,800 | +3% |
| Management Analysts | 62,360 | 3.44 | $126,830 | $78,970 | $181,280 | +25% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,560 | 0.78 | $34,600 | $30,460 | $42,490 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 59,090 | 1.33 | $37,840 | $31,720 | $48,780 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 50,600 | 0.81 | $35,470 | $30,330 | $44,710 | +8% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 50,450 | 0.58 | $38,530 | $30,670 | $46,080 | +8% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Registered Nurses | 46,830 | 0.69 | $102,710 | $80,750 | $132,900 | +5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 46,160 | 1.01 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | +31% |
| Managers, All Other | 42,010 | 3.35 | $170,980 | $128,610 | $221,230 | +20% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 41,470 | 1.42 | $102,140 | $67,530 | $170,980 | +22% |
| Security Guards | 40,950 | 1.58 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | +23% |
| Office Clerks, General | 39,410 | 0.79 | $51,880 | $36,230 | $76,240 | +15% |
| Project Management Specialists | 38,230 | 1.78 | $127,030 | $74,110 | $192,450 | +24% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 37,010 | 1.08 | $53,660 | $37,890 | $79,660 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 36,750 | 0.70 | $46,220 | $35,640 | $73,150 | +3% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 35,340 | 0.62 | $37,870 | $31,280 | $50,050 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | 550 | 0.97 | $246,990 | $45,150 | $377,060 | -12% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 770 | 1.17 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,470 | 0.68 | $225,140 | $125,150 | $329,200 | -8% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,370 | 1.01 | $223,250 | $60,580 | $423,610 | -13% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 5,100 | 2.44 | $209,750 | $94,790 | $358,480 | -10% |
| Physicians, All Other | 10,650 | 1.54 | $208,710 | $77,430 | $402,900 | -22% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 20,800 | 1.54 | $195,190 | $133,100 | $295,960 | +11% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Public Relations Managers | 9,470 | 6.27 | $195,190 | $117,350 | $340,440 | +33% |
| Financial Managers | 26,430 | 1.56 | $185,270 | $122,670 | $327,470 | +11% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,500 | 1.24 | $185,220 | $138,180 | $259,680 | +8% |
| Dentists, General | 3,040 | 1.21 | $184,540 | $105,610 | $324,370 | +8% |
| Marketing Managers | 8,900 | 1.12 | $181,260 | $106,860 | $296,500 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,280 | 1.41 | $177,960 | $111,720 | $282,330 | +19% |
| Sales Managers | 8,780 | 0.68 | $175,820 | $83,560 | $306,700 | +19% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 1,800 | 3.96 | $174,870 | $47,760 | $225,680 | +18% |
| Pediatricians, General | 550 | 0.69 | $172,520 | $79,240 | $354,030 | -18% |
| Purchasing Managers | 4,180 | 2.46 | $172,150 | $132,890 | $217,790 | +16% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 590 | 1.27 | $171,950 | $116,580 | $281,000 | +15% |
| Physicists | 1,520 | 3.69 | $171,580 | $98,950 | $225,680 | -0% |
These figures are for the whole Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $71,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.4% |
| Public administration | 9.7% |
| Retail trade | 8.3% |
| Construction | 8.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.2% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Manufacturing | 3.8% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Laurel 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County | 959,754 | $65,163 million | $67,896 | 329,476 | 18,770 | $73,373 | +3.4% | 4.0% | 493,950 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 36,330 | 15.7% | $41,482 | 1.10 |
| Health care and social assistance | 33,045 | 14.3% | $67,181 | 0.70 |
| Accommodation and food services | 30,589 | 13.2% | $33,499 | 1.02 |
| Construction | 29,081 | 12.6% | $86,576 | 1.68 |
| Professional and technical services | 22,261 | 9.6% | $109,569 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 16,683 | 7.2% | $53,324 | 0.86 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12,741 | 5.5% | $56,111 | 0.91 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9,494 | 4.1% | $54,551 | 0.96 |
| Wholesale trade | 9,200 | 4.0% | $77,012 | 0.71 |
| Manufacturing | 6,659 | 2.9% | $72,533 | 0.25 |
| Real estate and rental | 6,219 | 2.7% | $63,695 | 1.22 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,874 | 2.1% | $91,181 | 0.36 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 4,638 | 2.0% | $29,219 | 0.84 |
| Educational services | 4,160 | 1.8% | $54,195 | 0.61 |
| Management of companies | 2,284 | 1.0% | $94,299 | 0.41 |
| Information | 2,105 | 0.9% | $94,618 | 0.34 |
| Utilities | 938 | 0.4% | $111,515 | 0.75 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 202 | 0.1% | $72,493 | 0.16 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 117 | 0.1% | $39,971 | 0.04 |
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 | 65.1% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 17.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 25.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,504 |
| Income per person | $49,886 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,873 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.4% |
| Median home value | $385,500 |
| Homeowners | 44.2% |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $71,060 |
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; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. 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: Graduated, top rate 6.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.6% |
| Born abroad | 32.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 77.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.1 | 32 | 67 |
| Feb | 1.3 | 34 | 70 |
| Mar | 5.8 | 42 | 84 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 54 | 92 |
| May | 17.6 | 64 | 109 |
| Jun | 22.8 | 73 | 118 |
| Jul | 25.8 | 78 | 116 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 109 |
| Sep | 21.3 | 70 | 107 |
| Oct | 14.4 | 58 | 105 |
| Nov | 7.8 | 46 | 80 |
| Dec | 2.8 | 37 | 95 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Laurel | MD | 2 mi | 29,272 | $88,933 | $1,830 |
| North Laurel | MD | 2 mi | 25,563 | $122,949 | $2,031 |
| Maryland City | MD | 3 mi | 19,186 | $117,337 | $2,421 |
| Beltsville | MD | 5 mi | 19,176 | $99,642 | $1,963 |
| Fairland | MD | 5 mi | 26,231 | $98,800 | $1,894 |
| Calverton | MD | 5 mi | 17,624 | $107,381 | $2,164 |
| Greenbelt | MD | 7 mi | 24,678 | $85,997 | $1,848 |
| Columbia | MD | 7 mi | 104,338 | $131,490 | $2,042 |
| Seabrook | MD | 8 mi | 18,317 | $98,157 | $1,840 |
| College Park | MD | 8 mi | 34,540 | $69,721 | $1,912 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,798 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,873 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.4% of the median household income.
$100,504 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Prince George's County (latest month 2026M09)).
Maryland. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.