Jobs, pay and daily life in Plainfield, 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.
Plainfield is a city in New Jersey with 55,236 residents. The median household earns $85,908 a year and the median rent is $1,767 a month, which is 24.7% of the median household income. It is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, where BLS counts 9,492,000 jobs.
How Plainfield compares. Among the 100 largest places in New Jersey, Plainfield is #18 by population, #88 for college degrees (#1 = most), #84 for remote work (#1 = most), #72 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Union County, is #6 of 21 counties for average pay ($84,322).
Plainfield has 55,236 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of New Jersey. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 9,269 people per square mile. The median age is 32.4, 19% younger than the state median (32.4 against 40.1).
The median gross rent is $1,767 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,767 against $1,720). Over a year that is 24.7% 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 $410,800, which is 4.8 times the median household income ($85,908). 44.8% of households own their home, 30% below the state average (44.8% against 63.8%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area has 9,492,000 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $61,430 a year, 20% above the national median ($61,430 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (1,109,360 jobs, median $55,080); healthcare support (843,730 jobs, median $40,100); sales and related (751,110 jobs, median $47,540). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (1.8 times) and legal (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($171,990) and legal ($150,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Union County was 4.4%. 73.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Union County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 58.0% drive alone, 5.2% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 6.8% work from home. 19.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 18% below the state average (19.2% against 23.4%).
22.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% below the state share (22.0% against 43.6%). 41.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 75% above the state share (41.9% against 23.9%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 59% above the state rate (15.5% against 9.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-1.1°C). About 1,227 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (117 mm) and Feb the driest (80 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: North Plainfield (1 miles, similar rent); South Plainfield (3 miles, rent 19% higher); Westfield (5 miles, rent 33% higher); Middlesex (5 miles, rent 20% lower). Rent differences are against Plainfield; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Jersey (304) →State guide: New JerseyCountry guideUnion CountyNew Jersey 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 304 federal postings open in New Jersey (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in New Jersey →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 644,700 | 2.45 | $39,680 | $36,960 | $46,570 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 202,080 | 0.85 | $38,280 | $34,680 | $60,940 | +8% |
| Registered Nurses | 197,740 | 0.96 | $119,720 | $87,180 | $159,240 | +23% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 183,030 | 1.36 | $42,840 | $35,000 | $61,950 | +16% |
| General and Operations Managers | 177,850 | 0.83 | $157,000 | $71,030 | $364,770 | +48% |
| Cashiers | 173,830 | 0.92 | $35,950 | $32,850 | $46,020 | +9% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 166,040 | 0.71 | $35,420 | $33,070 | $44,130 | +14% |
| Security Guards | 142,760 | 1.82 | $43,980 | $35,360 | $60,720 | +16% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 138,720 | 1.00 | $47,610 | $33,810 | $95,610 | +35% |
| Office Clerks, General | 136,580 | 0.91 | $47,670 | $34,640 | $70,520 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 131,080 | 0.76 | $38,600 | $34,270 | $57,050 | +3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 126,920 | 1.46 | $38,890 | $32,240 | $56,740 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 125,570 | 0.79 | $49,590 | $36,930 | $77,290 | +11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 122,680 | 1.18 | $51,440 | $37,440 | $70,160 | +8% |
| Software Developers | 121,000 | 1.17 | $166,830 | $101,690 | $224,590 | +23% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 118,290 | 0.66 | $43,290 | $34,500 | $60,020 | +8% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 111,930 | 1.27 | $105,650 | $71,850 | $174,750 | +26% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 108,700 | 1.16 | $59,550 | $37,400 | $88,050 | +20% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 98,900 | 1.17 | $96,900 | $62,530 | $136,330 | +51% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 95,180 | 1.09 | $80,760 | $56,130 | $126,730 | +16% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | 1,950 | 1.19 | $465,780 | $93,130 | $576,380 | +11% |
| Anesthesiologists | 7,080 | 2.99 | $460,800 | $152,160 | $561,000 | +18% |
| Surgeons, All Other | 4,290 | 2.79 | $399,990 | $88,100 | $805,330 | -3% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 10,030 | 1.59 | $335,270 | $121,220 | $475,690 | +44% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 2,470 | 1.90 | $329,750 | $85,170 | $444,380 | +13% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 2,310 | 0.73 | $321,030 | $149,990 | $339,500 | +36% |
| Chief Executives | 7,180 | 0.58 | $301,440 | $164,740 | $709,670 | +41% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 3,070 | 1.53 | $289,440 | $80,210 | $386,990 | -14% |
| Physicians, All Other | 17,210 | 0.82 | $265,930 | $91,310 | $424,620 | +0% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 4,870 | 0.74 | $249,150 | $62,090 | $403,430 | +2% |
| Psychiatrists | 4,180 | 2.44 | $249,130 | $87,120 | $443,340 | -12% |
| Commercial Pilots | 1,210 | 0.42 | $225,900 | $62,820 | $321,550 | +83% |
| Financial Managers | 89,960 | 1.75 | $221,010 | $133,940 | $371,170 | +33% |
| Pediatricians, General | 4,510 | 1.88 | $216,040 | $82,210 | $343,610 | +3% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 62,430 | 1.53 | $215,300 | $139,610 | $322,410 | +23% |
| Sales Managers | 44,870 | 1.15 | $215,150 | $109,210 | $368,210 | +45% |
| Lawyers | 94,610 | 2.05 | $208,880 | $94,070 | $391,620 | +31% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | 1,280 | 0.87 | $204,160 | $79,090 | $232,590 | +33% |
| Marketing Managers | 54,730 | 2.27 | $192,840 | $116,040 | $324,990 | +16% |
| Public Relations Managers | 7,940 | 1.74 | $192,360 | $111,770 | $323,190 | +31% |
These figures are for the whole New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $61,430 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 17.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 14.1% |
| Construction | 12.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 12.2% |
| Manufacturing | 10.8% |
| Retail trade | 8.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.1% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.5% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Plainfield 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 579,290 | $51,947 million | $89,674 | 229,010 | 16,571 | $84,322 | +0.2% | 4.4% | 306,181 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 35,116 | 17.7% | $65,623 | 1.07 |
| Retail trade | 25,093 | 12.7% | $43,169 | 1.10 |
| Manufacturing | 22,076 | 11.1% | $140,532 | 1.17 |
| Administrative and waste services | 15,855 | 8.0% | $56,480 | 1.18 |
| Professional and technical services | 15,442 | 7.8% | $160,062 | 0.97 |
| Accommodation and food services | 15,350 | 7.7% | $31,468 | 0.74 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14,703 | 7.4% | $99,661 | 1.52 |
| Wholesale trade | 12,812 | 6.5% | $101,391 | 1.42 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 10,374 | 5.2% | $45,797 | 1.50 |
| Construction | 9,689 | 4.9% | $88,759 | 0.81 |
| Finance and insurance | 5,018 | 2.5% | $171,726 | 0.54 |
| Information | 3,364 | 1.7% | $135,546 | 0.78 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,164 | 1.6% | $32,681 | 0.82 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,158 | 1.6% | $66,564 | 0.89 |
| Educational services | 3,157 | 1.6% | $44,246 | 0.67 |
| Management of companies | 2,306 | 1.2% | $205,045 | 0.60 |
| Utilities | 1,442 | 0.7% | $133,474 | 1.66 |
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 | 58.0% |
| Public transit | 5.2% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 6.8% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 19.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,908 |
| Income per person | $30,960 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,767 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 24.7% |
| Median home value | $410,800 |
| Homeowners | 44.8% |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 112.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $61,430 |
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 10.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 32.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 71.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 22.0% |
| Born abroad | 41.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 73.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.1 | 30 | 82 |
| Feb | -0.2 | 32 | 80 |
| Mar | 3.8 | 39 | 103 |
| Apr | 9.9 | 50 | 99 |
| May | 15.6 | 60 | 98 |
| Jun | 21.0 | 70 | 117 |
| Jul | 24.4 | 76 | 117 |
| Aug | 23.8 | 75 | 114 |
| Sep | 20.1 | 68 | 98 |
| Oct | 13.4 | 56 | 113 |
| Nov | 7.2 | 45 | 91 |
| Dec | 2.1 | 36 | 115 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Plainfield | NJ | 1 mi | 22,809 | $87,349 | $1,752 |
| South Plainfield | NJ | 3 mi | 24,473 | $130,239 | $2,107 |
| Westfield | NJ | 5 mi | 31,111 | $232,629 | $2,357 |
| Middlesex | NJ | 5 mi | 14,645 | $105,000 | $1,416 |
| Metuchen | NJ | 6 mi | 15,144 | $158,052 | $2,078 |
| Colonia | NJ | 6 mi | 18,587 | $122,713 | $2,047 |
| New Providence | NJ | 6 mi | 13,727 | $161,599 | $1,903 |
| Iselin | NJ | 6 mi | 19,551 | $109,500 | $2,113 |
| Rahway | NJ | 7 mi | 30,109 | $91,461 | $1,845 |
| Summit | NJ | 7 mi | 22,705 | $190,304 | $2,430 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
55,236 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,767 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 24.7% of the median household income.
$85,908 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Union County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Jersey. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.