Jobs, pay and daily life in Parkersburg, 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 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Parkersburg is a city in West Virginia with 29,240 residents. The median household earns $49,025 a year and the median rent is $785 a month, which is 19.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 36,280 jobs.
How Parkersburg compares. Among the 40 largest places in West Virginia, Parkersburg is #4 by population, #9 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #32 for college degrees (#1 = most), #29 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Wood County, is #24 of 55 counties for average pay ($54,626).
Parkersburg has 29,240 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.6% of the population of West Virginia. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,482 people per square mile. The median age is 42.2, about the same as the state median (42.2 against 42.7).
The median gross rent is $785 a month (rent plus utilities), 10% below the state median ($785 against $872). Over a year that is 19.2% 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 $121,600, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($49,025); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 65.0% of households own their home, 13% below the state average (65.0% against 74.9%).
The Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metropolitan area has 36,280 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $42,000 a year, 18% below the national median ($42,000 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are sales and related (3,860 jobs, median $29,250); food preparation and serving related (3,780 jobs, median $27,060); office and administrative support (3,700 jobs, median $38,650). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Wood County was 3.6%. 55.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Wood County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.2% drive alone, 2.0% use public transit, 3.8% walk, 9.9% work from home. 9.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 46% below the state average (9.5% against 17.5%).
21.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13% below the state share (21.0% against 24.1%). 1.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 34% below the state share (1.2% against 1.8%). The poverty rate is 22.5%, 34% above the state rate (22.5% against 16.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 29°F (-1.7°C). About 1,088 mm (43 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (111 mm) and Nov the driest (74 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: Vienna (4 miles, rent 3% higher); Ravenswood (24 miles, rent 9% lower); Athens (30 miles, rent 29% higher); Point Pleasant (42 miles, rent 21% lower). Rent differences are against Parkersburg; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in West Virginia (238) →State guide: West VirginiaCountry guideWood CountyWest Virginia 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 238 federal postings open in West Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in West Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,580 | 1.74 | $28,220 | $21,800 | $37,500 | -20% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,270 | 1.27 | $26,920 | $23,170 | $32,000 | -25% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,120 | 7.49 | $22,780 | $21,550 | $27,610 | -26% |
| Cashiers | 950 | 1.31 | $26,510 | $21,110 | $33,550 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 910 | 1.15 | $79,000 | $53,570 | $114,600 | -19% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 830 | 1.26 | $33,410 | $27,950 | $38,500 | -11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 740 | 0.91 | $81,660 | $44,770 | $170,890 | -23% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 610 | 1.15 | $35,290 | $18,870 | $60,280 | +0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 570 | 0.83 | $36,330 | $27,630 | $44,490 | -10% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 550 | 1.64 | $100,420 | $59,510 | $128,670 | +20% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 540 | 1.13 | $47,050 | $36,070 | $73,070 | -20% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 510 | 1.56 | $40,100 | $36,520 | $45,360 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 500 | 1.89 | $40,450 | $27,800 | $63,580 | -17% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 460 | 3.76 | $49,630 | $46,080 | $49,630 | +19% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 440 | 2.08 | $94,520 | $53,170 | $126,440 | +24% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 410 | 0.80 | $30,670 | $23,150 | $42,660 | -17% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 410 | 1.24 | $29,700 | $21,750 | $36,250 | -21% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 410 | 1.02 | $39,080 | $29,140 | $57,180 | -18% |
| Nursing Assistants | 400 | 1.17 | $36,220 | $31,060 | $43,160 | -14% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 400 | 1.38 | $30,100 | $27,130 | $47,120 | -32% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | 550 | 1.64 | $100,420 | $59,510 | $128,670 | +20% |
| General and Operations Managers | 740 | 0.91 | $81,660 | $44,770 | $170,890 | -23% |
| Registered Nurses | 910 | 1.15 | $79,000 | $53,570 | $114,600 | -19% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 540 | 1.13 | $47,050 | $36,070 | $73,070 | -20% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 500 | 1.89 | $40,450 | $27,800 | $63,580 | -17% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 510 | 1.56 | $40,100 | $36,520 | $45,360 | -10% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 570 | 0.83 | $36,330 | $27,630 | $44,490 | -10% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 610 | 1.15 | $35,290 | $18,870 | $60,280 | +0% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 830 | 1.26 | $33,410 | $27,950 | $38,500 | -11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,580 | 1.74 | $28,220 | $21,800 | $37,500 | -20% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,270 | 1.27 | $26,920 | $23,170 | $32,000 | -25% |
| Cashiers | 950 | 1.31 | $26,510 | $21,110 | $33,550 | -19% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,120 | 7.49 | $22,780 | $21,550 | $27,610 | -26% |
These figures are for the whole Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $42,000 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.6% |
| Retail trade | 16.7% |
| Manufacturing | 9.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.3% |
| Public administration | 6.0% |
| Other services | 5.3% |
| Construction | 3.3% |
| Information | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Parkersburg 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County | 83,407 | $4,743 million | $56,862 | 35,511 | 2,634 | $54,626 | +0.7% | 3.6% | 35,584 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 7,313 | 25.0% | $58,085 | 1.44 |
| Retail trade | 5,317 | 18.1% | $35,492 | 1.50 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,914 | 13.4% | $20,186 | 1.21 |
| Manufacturing | 2,920 | 10.0% | $83,208 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,605 | 5.5% | $62,107 | 0.86 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,452 | 5.0% | $47,549 | 0.69 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,259 | 4.3% | $56,325 | 0.84 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,011 | 3.5% | $35,839 | 0.95 |
| Professional and technical services | 960 | 3.3% | $69,507 | 0.39 |
| Finance and insurance | 958 | 3.3% | $71,689 | 0.66 |
| Wholesale trade | 692 | 2.4% | $61,648 | 0.49 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 523 | 1.8% | $20,246 | 0.88 |
| Information | 354 | 1.2% | $71,288 | 0.53 |
| Management of companies | 351 | 1.2% | $146,791 | 0.59 |
| Real estate and rental | 311 | 1.1% | $46,484 | 0.56 |
| Utilities | 146 | 0.5% | $116,345 | 1.08 |
| Educational services | 141 | 0.5% | $36,449 | 0.19 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 60 | 0.2% | $70,482 | 0.45 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 10 | 0.0% | $59,176 | 0.03 |
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 | 72.2% |
| Public transit | 2.0% |
| Walk | 3.8% |
| Work from home | 9.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,025 |
| Income per person | $30,355 |
| Median gross rent per month | $785 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.2% |
| Median home value | $121,600 |
| Homeowners | 65.0% |
| Poverty rate | 22.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 87.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $42,000 |
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 4.82%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.0% |
| Born abroad | 1.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.7 | 29 | 79 |
| Feb | -0.5 | 31 | 79 |
| Mar | 4.8 | 41 | 87 |
| Apr | 11.4 | 53 | 96 |
| May | 17.0 | 63 | 108 |
| Jun | 21.5 | 71 | 110 |
| Jul | 23.9 | 75 | 111 |
| Aug | 23.7 | 75 | 82 |
| Sep | 20.0 | 68 | 83 |
| Oct | 12.7 | 55 | 88 |
| Nov | 5.9 | 43 | 74 |
| Dec | 0.9 | 34 | 91 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | WV | 4 mi | 10,518 | $60,388 | $809 |
| Ravenswood | WV | 24 mi | 3,830 | $34,241 | $714 |
| Athens | OH | 30 mi | 23,396 | $38,204 | $1,011 |
| Point Pleasant | WV | 42 mi | 3,961 | $37,563 | $624 |
| New Martinsville | WV | 45 mi | 5,133 | $60,946 | $688 |
| Zanesville | OH | 54 mi | 24,740 | $43,280 | $821 |
| Cross Lanes | WV | 58 mi | 9,671 | $63,537 | $949 |
| Pinch | WV | 59 mi | 4,037 | $76,741 | $916 |
| Teays Valley | WV | 60 mi | 14,151 | $108,741 | $1,102 |
| Weston | WV | 60 mi | 3,840 | $52,070 | $770 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,240 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$785 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.2% of the median household income.
$49,025 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Wood County (latest month 2026M09)).
West Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.