Jobs, pay and daily life in Makakilo, 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.
Makakilo is a city in Hawaii with 20,735 residents. The median household earns $118,550 a year and the median rent is $2,276 a month, which is 23.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 446,380 jobs.
How Makakilo compares. Among the 40 largest places in Hawaii, Makakilo is #15 by population, #7 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #11 for remote work (#1 = most), #29 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Honolulu County, is #1 of 4 counties for average pay ($69,851).
Makakilo has 20,735 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.4% of the population of Hawaii. It covers 4 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,427 people per square mile. The median age is 36.6, 11% younger than the state median (36.6 against 40.9). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $2,276 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% above the state median ($2,276 against $1,971). Over a year that is 23.0% 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 $867,200, which is 7.3 times the median household income ($118,550); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 77.6% of households own their home, 23% above the state average (77.6% against 63.0%).
The Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan area has 446,380 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $57,220 a year, 12% above the national median ($57,220 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (54,350 jobs, median $37,510); office and administrative support (52,900 jobs, median $48,310); transportation and material moving (36,130 jobs, median $48,900). The area is most specialised in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (1.5 times) and protective service (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($121,140) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($106,480). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Honolulu County was 3.0%. 64.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Honolulu County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.5% drive alone, 2.2% use public transit, 0.4% walk, 10.7% work from home. 25.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% above the state average (25.3% against 16.7%).
36.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (36.4% against 36.1%). 14.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 21% below the state share (14.2% against 17.9%). The poverty rate is 9.2%, 9% below the state rate (9.2% against 10.0%).
The warmest month is Sep, averaging 80°F (26.4°C), and the coolest is Feb at 73°F (22.7°C). About 770 mm (30 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Mar is the wettest month (94 mm) and Jun the driest (37 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: Kapolei (2 miles, similar rent); Ewa Gentry (4 miles, rent 13% higher); Royal Kunia (5 miles, rent 28% higher); Ocean Pointe (5 miles, rent 50% higher). Rent differences are against Makakilo; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Hawaii (384) →State guide: HawaiiCountry guideHonolulu CountyHawaii 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 384 federal postings open in Hawaii (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 | 17,240 | 1.56 | $35,080 | $29,120 | $44,100 | +12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,810 | 1.14 | $37,400 | $30,570 | $48,300 | +6% |
| Registered Nurses | 9,680 | 1.00 | $139,260 | $82,390 | $151,320 | +43% |
| General and Operations Managers | 9,430 | 0.94 | $113,940 | $52,000 | $219,860 | +8% |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,820 | 1.25 | $41,600 | $30,990 | $61,560 | -8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 8,550 | 1.31 | $60,250 | $29,120 | $101,690 | +71% |
| Security Guards | 8,440 | 2.29 | $42,580 | $35,140 | $56,330 | +12% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 8,090 | 1.28 | $36,760 | $29,120 | $51,020 | -0% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 7,220 | 1.75 | $62,980 | $42,980 | $98,660 | -9% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 7,020 | 0.83 | $44,120 | $32,760 | $61,100 | +10% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 6,960 | 1.72 | $42,450 | $30,270 | $62,550 | +14% |
| Cashiers | 6,830 | 0.77 | $35,930 | $29,860 | $44,070 | +9% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,540 | 2.65 | $53,850 | $37,480 | $61,970 | +52% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 6,260 | 0.84 | $44,630 | $31,750 | $62,860 | -0% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 5,680 | 0.70 | $38,440 | $35,320 | $51,990 | +3% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 5,130 | 1.05 | $50,020 | $38,290 | $66,870 | +5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 5,120 | 1.17 | $55,280 | $37,590 | $80,140 | +11% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 5,060 | 1.44 | $48,310 | $37,530 | $78,300 | +10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,400 | 0.36 | $37,770 | $31,070 | $45,630 | +6% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,220 | 1.06 | $73,080 | $57,400 | $95,060 | +14% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,480 | 1.50 | $339,290 | $124,470 | $469,300 | +28% |
| Dentists, General | 650 | 1.81 | $168,090 | $71,770 | $416,000 | -2% |
| Pharmacists | 890 | 0.96 | $165,090 | $127,700 | $177,290 | +17% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 2,140 | 1.25 | $151,180 | $85,760 | $220,010 | +22% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,040 | 1.64 | $150,220 | $99,860 | $216,650 | -12% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,050 | 0.55 | $141,510 | $103,200 | $229,880 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 9,680 | 1.00 | $139,260 | $82,390 | $151,320 | +43% |
| Financial Managers | 3,000 | 1.24 | $134,330 | $80,410 | $221,330 | -19% |
| Human Resources Managers | 550 | 0.87 | $129,240 | $84,030 | $200,010 | -13% |
| Construction Managers | 2,190 | 2.00 | $128,730 | $67,170 | $183,470 | +12% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 1,380 | 1.46 | $126,670 | $85,690 | $168,630 | +20% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 510 | 0.63 | $126,110 | $65,470 | $208,720 | +20% |
| Engineers, All Other | 960 | 2.17 | $121,010 | $81,580 | $169,000 | -2% |
| Lawyers | 1,960 | 0.90 | $120,870 | $72,820 | $179,010 | -24% |
| Software Developers | 1,290 | 0.27 | $120,230 | $63,200 | $219,050 | -12% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 1,880 | 1.50 | $120,100 | $65,950 | $161,700 | +3% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,190 | 1.58 | $119,530 | $79,520 | $176,820 | +5% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 1,430 | 1.04 | $117,630 | $60,990 | $129,170 | +97% |
| Sales Managers | 1,240 | 0.68 | $117,120 | $71,470 | $218,870 | -21% |
| General and Operations Managers | 9,430 | 0.94 | $113,940 | $52,000 | $219,860 | +8% |
These figures are for the whole Urban Honolulu, HI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $57,220 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.6% |
| Public administration | 14.6% |
| Construction | 9.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.4% |
| Retail trade | 8.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.0% |
| Other services | 6.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.5% |
| Manufacturing | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.4% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Makakilo 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu County | 1,001,146 | $87,066 million | $86,967 | 453,193 | 31,849 | $69,851 | +1.1% | 3.0% | 484,553 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 63,590 | 17.7% | $42,145 | 1.54 |
| Health care and social assistance | 56,169 | 15.6% | $76,763 | 0.86 |
| Retail trade | 41,501 | 11.5% | $44,589 | 0.92 |
| Construction | 27,772 | 7.7% | $95,804 | 1.17 |
| Administrative and waste services | 25,813 | 7.2% | $51,512 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 22,587 | 6.3% | $83,123 | 1.18 |
| Professional and technical services | 21,856 | 6.1% | $103,501 | 0.69 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 18,833 | 5.2% | $50,833 | 1.38 |
| Wholesale trade | 13,491 | 3.8% | $78,936 | 0.76 |
| Finance and insurance | 12,235 | 3.4% | $102,148 | 0.67 |
| Educational services | 11,455 | 3.2% | $51,091 | 1.22 |
| Manufacturing | 9,375 | 2.6% | $62,620 | 0.25 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 8,343 | 2.3% | $36,588 | 1.10 |
| Real estate and rental | 7,917 | 2.2% | $75,449 | 1.13 |
| Management of companies | 7,740 | 2.2% | $109,341 | 1.01 |
| Information | 6,408 | 1.8% | $98,890 | 0.75 |
| Utilities | 2,384 | 0.7% | $126,068 | 1.38 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,624 | 0.5% | $45,981 | 0.44 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 238 | 0.1% | $110,201 | 0.14 |
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 | 70.5% |
| Public transit | 2.2% |
| Walk | 0.4% |
| Work from home | 10.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 25.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,550 |
| Income per person | $47,464 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,276 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.0% |
| Median home value | $867,200 |
| Homeowners | 77.6% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 111.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $57,220 |
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 11.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 36.4% |
| Born abroad | 14.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.0 | 73 | 71 |
| Feb | 22.7 | 73 | 82 |
| Mar | 22.9 | 73 | 94 |
| Apr | 23.6 | 74 | 54 |
| May | 24.6 | 76 | 46 |
| Jun | 25.4 | 78 | 37 |
| Jul | 25.9 | 79 | 40 |
| Aug | 26.3 | 79 | 44 |
| Sep | 26.4 | 80 | 50 |
| Oct | 25.9 | 79 | 73 |
| Nov | 24.9 | 77 | 86 |
| Dec | 23.7 | 75 | 93 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapolei | HI | 2 mi | 22,232 | $128,324 | $2,311 |
| Ewa Gentry | HI | 4 mi | 26,563 | $135,684 | $2,580 |
| Royal Kunia | HI | 5 mi | 13,555 | $135,361 | $2,921 |
| Ocean Pointe | HI | 5 mi | 17,085 | $149,767 | $3,424 |
| Waipahu | HI | 5 mi | 40,482 | $103,895 | $1,658 |
| Nanakuli | HI | 5 mi | 12,383 | $86,597 | $1,690 |
| Ewa Beach | HI | 6 mi | 14,376 | $124,323 | $2,522 |
| Waipio | HI | 7 mi | 10,870 | $109,877 | $2,219 |
| Maili | HI | 7 mi | 11,570 | $111,542 | $2,420 |
| Mililani Town | HI | 7 mi | 27,668 | $127,363 | $2,384 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
20,735 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,276 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.0% of the median household income.
$118,550 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Honolulu County (latest month 2026M09)).
Hawaii. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.