Jobs, pay and daily life in Pocatello, 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.
Pocatello is a city in Idaho with 57,635 residents. The median household earns $60,418 a year and the median rent is $948 a month, which is 18.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Pocatello, ID metropolitan area, where BLS counts 38,290 jobs.
How Pocatello compares. Among the 40 largest places in Idaho, Pocatello is #6 by population, #31 for household income (#1 = highest), #10 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #14 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Bannock County, is #29 of 44 counties for average pay ($47,720).
Pocatello has 57,635 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.0% of the population of Idaho. It covers 34 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,696 people per square mile. The median age is 33.1, 11% younger than the state median (33.1 against 37.3).
The median gross rent is $948 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% below the state median ($948 against $1,238). Over a year that is 18.8% 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 $271,000, which is 4.5 times the median household income ($60,418). 64.5% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (64.5% against 72.1%).
The Pocatello, ID metropolitan area has 38,290 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,160 a year, 11% below the national median ($45,160 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (5,820 jobs, median $42,870); food preparation and serving related (3,540 jobs, median $29,370); sales and related (3,100 jobs, median $34,460). The area is most specialised in office and administrative support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($42,870). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Bannock County was 3.8%. 64.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Bannock County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.3% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 2.8% walk, 11.1% work from home. 7.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 34% below the state average (7.0% against 10.6%).
32.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (32.6% against 31.8%). 4.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 31% below the state share (4.1% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 14.8%, 40% above the state rate (14.8% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 22°F (-5.7°C). About 413 mm (16 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (45 mm) and Jul the driest (14 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: Chubbuck (4 miles, rent 11% higher); American Falls (21 miles, rent 22% lower); Blackfoot (23 miles, rent 11% lower); Shelley (39 miles, rent 33% higher). Rent differences are against Pocatello; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Idaho (247) →State guide: IdahoCountry guideBannock CountyIdaho 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 247 federal postings open in Idaho (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 | 1,380 | 1.46 | $28,870 | $20,030 | $34,150 | -7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,370 | 1.30 | $34,390 | $27,240 | $39,390 | -4% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,130 | 1.78 | $37,940 | $31,420 | $59,980 | -15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 990 | 1.03 | $30,220 | $23,320 | $47,960 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 880 | 1.02 | $78,100 | $39,830 | $160,030 | -26% |
| Cashiers | 860 | 1.13 | $28,910 | $21,770 | $36,180 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 830 | 1.00 | $78,780 | $65,590 | $100,750 | -19% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 580 | 1.07 | $34,320 | $27,220 | $48,600 | -7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 560 | 0.80 | $36,560 | $27,960 | $43,600 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 490 | 1.38 | $57,020 | $40,700 | $81,020 | -18% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 470 | 0.85 | $30,200 | $15,970 | $61,040 | -14% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 470 | 0.94 | $56,370 | $44,110 | $70,550 | -4% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 420 | 0.57 | $36,090 | $28,870 | $46,320 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 400 | 1.33 | $36,870 | $27,320 | $57,150 | -16% |
| Medical Assistants | 400 | 2.01 | $37,610 | $31,880 | $46,620 | -18% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 380 | 0.90 | $43,990 | $28,930 | $56,060 | -7% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 370 | 0.98 | $44,640 | $32,700 | $62,610 | -10% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 360 | 1.03 | $31,130 | $26,800 | $46,430 | -15% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 350 | 1.67 | $32,720 | $26,830 | $34,790 | -8% |
| Construction Laborers | 350 | 1.29 | $45,680 | $36,440 | $62,460 | -3% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 830 | 1.00 | $78,780 | $65,590 | $100,750 | -19% |
| General and Operations Managers | 880 | 1.02 | $78,100 | $39,830 | $160,030 | -26% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,130 | 1.78 | $37,940 | $31,420 | $59,980 | -15% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 560 | 0.80 | $36,560 | $27,960 | $43,600 | -2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,370 | 1.30 | $34,390 | $27,240 | $39,390 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 580 | 1.07 | $34,320 | $27,220 | $48,600 | -7% |
| Retail Salespersons | 990 | 1.03 | $30,220 | $23,320 | $47,960 | -15% |
| Cashiers | 860 | 1.13 | $28,910 | $21,770 | $36,180 | -12% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,380 | 1.46 | $28,870 | $20,030 | $34,150 | -7% |
These figures are for the whole Pocatello, ID metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,160 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.8% |
| Retail trade | 12.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.5% |
| Manufacturing | 6.9% |
| Construction | 6.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.5% |
| Public administration | 5.2% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
| Information | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Pocatello lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Power County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock County | 89,454 | $4,410 million | $49,302 | 37,594 | 3,231 | $47,720 | +2.3% | 3.8% | 40,520 |
| Power County | 8,133 | $561 million | $68,937 | 4,005 | 281 | $55,894 | +2.7% | 2.4% | 4,967 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 7,026 | 25.6% | $49,052 | 1.30 |
| Retail trade | 4,531 | 16.5% | $34,645 | 1.21 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,935 | 14.3% | $19,410 | 1.15 |
| Construction | 2,488 | 9.0% | $56,463 | 1.26 |
| Manufacturing | 2,393 | 8.7% | $57,627 | 0.77 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,859 | 6.8% | $36,918 | 0.84 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,233 | 4.5% | $74,363 | 0.83 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,049 | 3.8% | $71,811 | 0.69 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 899 | 3.3% | $38,903 | 0.79 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 663 | 2.4% | $53,431 | 0.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 463 | 1.7% | $15,294 | 0.73 |
| Educational services | 368 | 1.3% | $37,496 | 0.47 |
| Real estate and rental | 333 | 1.2% | $43,820 | 0.57 |
| Information | 152 | 0.6% | $44,447 | 0.22 |
| Utilities | 106 | 0.4% | $53,412 | 0.74 |
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 | 75.3% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 2.8% |
| Work from home | 11.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,418 |
| Income per person | $32,287 |
| Median gross rent per month | $948 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.8% |
| Median home value | $271,000 |
| Homeowners | 64.5% |
| Poverty rate | 14.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,160 |
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 5.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 33.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 32.6% |
| Born abroad | 4.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.7 | 22 | 41 |
| Feb | -3.0 | 27 | 35 |
| Mar | 2.5 | 36 | 42 |
| Apr | 6.4 | 44 | 44 |
| May | 12.1 | 54 | 45 |
| Jun | 17.8 | 64 | 28 |
| Jul | 23.8 | 75 | 14 |
| Aug | 22.1 | 72 | 19 |
| Sep | 16.1 | 61 | 32 |
| Oct | 7.9 | 46 | 34 |
| Nov | 0.8 | 33 | 34 |
| Dec | -4.9 | 23 | 45 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chubbuck | ID | 4 mi | 16,126 | $82,977 | $1,048 |
| American Falls | ID | 21 mi | 4,712 | $57,783 | $737 |
| Blackfoot | ID | 23 mi | 12,782 | $64,032 | $839 |
| Shelley | ID | 39 mi | 5,092 | $77,563 | $1,265 |
| Idaho Falls | ID | 48 mi | 67,725 | $73,110 | $1,075 |
| Ammon | ID | 49 mi | 19,064 | $86,121 | $1,372 |
| Lincoln | ID | 51 mi | 4,002 | $84,280 | $1,218 |
| Preston | ID | 61 mi | 5,928 | $61,039 | $811 |
| Rigby | ID | 62 mi | 5,404 | $85,056 | $1,180 |
| Rupert | ID | 64 mi | 6,190 | $54,741 | $856 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
57,635 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$948 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.8% of the median household income.
$60,418 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Bannock County (latest month 2026M09)).
Idaho. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.