Jobs, pay and daily life in Payson, 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.
Payson is a city in Arizona with 16,622 residents. The median household earns $67,710 a year and the median rent is $1,345 a month, which is 23.8% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ (72,300 jobs), about 38 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Payson compares. Among the 80 largest places in Arizona, Payson is #47 by population, #50 for household income (#1 = highest), #38 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #42 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Gila County, is #9 of 15 counties for average pay ($56,684).
Payson has 16,622 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Arizona. It covers 19 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 859 people per square mile. The median age is 60.9, 56% older than the state median (60.9 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,345 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($1,345 against $1,543). Over a year that is 23.8% 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 $382,400, which is 5.6 times the median household income ($67,710); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 75.7% of households own their home, 12% above the state average (75.7% against 67.4%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ, metropolitan area has 72,300 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,330 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,330 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (8,560 jobs, median $44,390); food preparation and serving related (8,490 jobs, median $35,150); sales and related (7,660 jobs, median $36,550). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.7 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($90,020) and management ($84,830). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Gila County was 4.4%. 43.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Gila County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 66.5% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.5% walk, 13.9% work from home. 12.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 10% below the state average (12.8% against 14.2%).
24.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (24.4% against 33.3%). 5.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 62% below the state share (5.0% against 13.0%). The poverty rate is 11.0%, 12% below the state rate (11.0% against 12.5%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 42°F (5.6°C). About 396 mm (16 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (58 mm) and Jun the driest (5 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: Camp Verde (38 miles, rent 21% lower); Scottsdale (50 miles, rent 50% higher); Fountain Hills (50 miles, rent 41% higher); Verde Village (50 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Payson; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Arizona (983) →State guide: ArizonaCountry guideGila CountyArizona 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 983 federal postings open in Arizona (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Arizona →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 2,890 | 1.77 | $78,400 | $44,940 | $165,250 | -26% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,570 | 1.42 | $35,290 | $30,950 | $46,770 | -0% |
| Cashiers | 2,470 | 1.72 | $34,350 | $30,640 | $37,820 | +4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,080 | 1.16 | $33,350 | $30,580 | $42,770 | +7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,840 | 1.74 | $36,670 | $30,580 | $78,290 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,660 | 1.45 | $45,760 | $32,710 | $62,070 | +2% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,510 | 0.96 | $104,980 | $78,570 | $139,150 | +8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,280 | 0.97 | $37,550 | $31,580 | $49,240 | +1% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,150 | 1.75 | $37,380 | $32,010 | $45,900 | -0% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,120 | 0.56 | $35,850 | $30,620 | $42,880 | +0% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,100 | 2.16 | $46,110 | $35,410 | $59,630 | -2% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,080 | 0.79 | $39,790 | $35,160 | $45,930 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,060 | 1.48 | $44,750 | $34,730 | $69,910 | -10% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,020 | 1.06 | $58,210 | $43,900 | $84,990 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 870 | 0.84 | $37,320 | $32,010 | $45,870 | +1% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 830 | 1.05 | $44,610 | $35,420 | $59,160 | -6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 790 | 0.66 | $39,280 | $32,380 | $57,690 | -12% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 770 | 1.82 | $37,770 | $31,970 | $45,770 | -1% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 770 | 3.46 | $60,830 | $48,680 | $72,560 | +2% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 710 | 1.78 | $33,310 | $31,270 | $37,070 | -6% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ, about 38 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,330 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.4% |
| Construction | 11.8% |
| Retail trade | 10.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.7% |
| Public administration | 7.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.3% |
| Manufacturing | 4.5% |
| Other services | 4.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Payson 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gila County | 53,795 | $2,397 million | $44,562 | 15,973 | 1,138 | $56,684 | +6.7% | 4.4% | 22,874 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,016 | 19.0% | $35,136 | 1.26 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,821 | 17.2% | $24,968 | 1.25 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,460 | 13.8% | $59,984 | 0.64 |
| Manufacturing | 1,166 | 11.0% | $96,368 | 0.89 |
| Professional and technical services | 936 | 8.8% | $61,255 | 0.84 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 848 | 8.0% | $93,528 | 14.04 |
| Construction | 761 | 7.2% | $54,119 | 0.91 |
| Administrative and waste services | 248 | 2.3% | $49,918 | 0.26 |
| Finance and insurance | 216 | 2.0% | $59,619 | 0.33 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 204 | 1.9% | $61,642 | 0.30 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 181 | 1.7% | $31,598 | 0.67 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 158 | 1.5% | $36,006 | 0.33 |
| Real estate and rental | 133 | 1.3% | $47,668 | 0.54 |
| Information | 120 | 1.1% | $70,174 | 0.40 |
| Educational services | 109 | 1.0% | $40,340 | 0.33 |
| Wholesale trade | 88 | 0.8% | $70,275 | 0.14 |
| Utilities | 66 | 0.6% | $77,598 | 1.09 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 41 | 0.4% | $36,726 | 0.32 |
| Management of companies | 15 | 0.1% | $135,104 | 0.06 |
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 | 66.5% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.5% |
| Work from home | 13.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,710 |
| Income per person | $42,466 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,345 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.8% |
| Median home value | $382,400 |
| Homeowners | 75.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 98.3 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $46,330 |
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 2.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 60.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.4% |
| Born abroad | 5.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 43.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.9 | 43 | 48 |
| Feb | 7.1 | 45 | 45 |
| Mar | 10.8 | 51 | 29 |
| Apr | 14.3 | 58 | 13 |
| May | 19.5 | 67 | 10 |
| Jun | 25.9 | 79 | 5 |
| Jul | 27.1 | 81 | 58 |
| Aug | 26.1 | 79 | 53 |
| Sep | 23.1 | 74 | 33 |
| Oct | 17.1 | 63 | 22 |
| Nov | 10.9 | 52 | 29 |
| Dec | 5.6 | 42 | 51 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Verde | AZ | 38 mi | 12,521 | $69,203 | $1,059 |
| Scottsdale | AZ | 50 mi | 243,821 | $110,886 | $2,013 |
| Fountain Hills | AZ | 50 mi | 23,789 | $112,654 | $1,890 |
| Verde Village | AZ | 50 mi | 11,930 | $69,331 | $1,173 |
| Sedona | AZ | 50 mi | 9,777 | $73,738 | $1,448 |
| New River | AZ | 51 mi | 18,240 | $134,289 | $1,948 |
| Cottonwood | AZ | 52 mi | 12,580 | $48,448 | $1,120 |
| Anthem | AZ | 54 mi | 22,584 | $120,613 | $2,548 |
| Paradise Valley | AZ | 60 mi | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,501 |
| Apache Junction | AZ | 61 mi | 41,058 | $60,975 | $1,146 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
16,622 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,345 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.8% of the median household income.
$67,710 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Gila County (latest month 2026M09)).
Arizona. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.