Jobs, pay and daily life in Princeton, 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.
Princeton is a city in New Jersey with 30,756 residents. The median household earns $192,079 a year and the median rent is $2,636 a month, which is 16.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan area, where BLS counts 240,190 jobs.
How Princeton compares. Among the 100 largest places in New Jersey, Princeton is #31 by population, #2 for college degrees (#1 = most), #5 for household income (#1 = highest), #5 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Mercer County, is #4 of 21 counties for average pay ($90,503).
Princeton has 30,756 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of New Jersey. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,714 people per square mile. The median age is 28.5, 29% younger than the state median (28.5 against 40.1).
The median gross rent is $2,636 a month (rent plus utilities), 53% above the state median ($2,636 against $1,720). Over a year that is 16.5% 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 $1,050,600, which is 5.5 times the median household income ($192,079); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 55.4% of households own their home, 13% below the state average (55.4% against 63.8%).
The Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan area has 240,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $63,490 a year, 25% above the national median ($63,490 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (28,510 jobs, median $52,900); business and financial operations (26,140 jobs, median $93,960); management (22,490 jobs, median $167,450). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (2.4 times) and business and financial operations (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($167,450) and computer and mathematical ($108,740). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Mercer County was 4.2%. 63.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Mercer County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 32.1% drive alone, 7.7% use public transit, 19.9% walk, 32.7% work from home. 14.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 37% below the state average (14.7% against 23.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
84.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 94% above the state share (84.7% against 43.6%). 30.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 29% above the state share (30.9% against 23.9%). The poverty rate is 6.1%, 37% below the state rate (6.1% 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: Princeton Meadows (6 miles, rent 24% lower); Mercerville (9 miles, rent 39% lower); Hillsborough (10 miles, rent 25% lower); Trenton (11 miles, rent 51% lower). Rent differences are against Princeton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Jersey (304) →State guide: New JerseyCountry guideMercer 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 5,570 | 3.32 | $89,370 | $54,340 | $132,600 | +8% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,180 | 0.99 | $99,990 | $82,110 | $125,900 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,920 | 0.74 | $37,760 | $34,110 | $46,330 | +5% |
| Cashiers | 4,800 | 1.01 | $34,710 | $32,220 | $39,060 | +6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 4,460 | 0.98 | $37,560 | $34,610 | $49,310 | -7% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,300 | 0.72 | $34,720 | $32,220 | $37,510 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,840 | 1.13 | $37,640 | $32,220 | $50,590 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,680 | 1.40 | $54,050 | $37,490 | $75,710 | +14% |
| Software Developers | 3,390 | 1.30 | $128,770 | $81,110 | $190,830 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,140 | 0.78 | $47,590 | $34,710 | $72,320 | +6% |
| Security Guards | 3,110 | 1.57 | $34,980 | $32,220 | $59,540 | -8% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,100 | 0.57 | $181,450 | $81,050 | $438,160 | +72% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,090 | 0.51 | $36,720 | $32,220 | $57,640 | +4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,960 | 0.68 | $37,330 | $32,220 | $48,920 | +0% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 2,890 | 1.29 | $99,550 | $66,140 | $154,650 | +19% |
| Management Analysts | 2,810 | 2.02 | $102,020 | $62,150 | $137,960 | +0% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,770 | 0.73 | $48,730 | $35,810 | $70,340 | +8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 2,770 | 1.25 | $79,460 | $50,910 | $111,940 | +14% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 2,570 | 1.17 | $36,700 | $32,220 | $52,060 | -0% |
| Lawyers | 2,470 | 2.12 | $138,760 | $93,480 | $265,810 | -13% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Managers | 1,250 | 2.04 | $208,440 | $131,980 | $288,660 | +25% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,000 | 1.93 | $197,420 | $133,870 | $291,560 | +13% |
| Financial Managers | 2,460 | 1.89 | $184,800 | $127,480 | $317,050 | +11% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,150 | 12.78 | $182,230 | $147,120 | $309,780 | +9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,100 | 0.57 | $181,450 | $81,050 | $438,160 | +72% |
| Sales Managers | 850 | 0.86 | $178,360 | $100,300 | $300,560 | +20% |
| Human Resources Managers | 530 | 1.55 | $161,720 | $111,100 | $294,180 | +8% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,260 | 3.09 | $154,070 | $103,990 | $199,140 | +35% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 610 | 1.20 | $141,580 | $101,290 | $177,450 | +34% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 940 | 1.01 | $141,550 | $96,870 | $339,860 | +14% |
| Lawyers | 2,470 | 2.12 | $138,760 | $93,480 | $265,810 | -13% |
| Managers, All Other | 2,340 | 2.43 | $135,180 | $85,870 | $224,990 | -5% |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 700 | 2.61 | $133,870 | $91,970 | $172,830 | +29% |
| Software Developers | 3,390 | 1.30 | $128,770 | $81,110 | $190,830 | -5% |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 520 | 9.92 | $124,300 | $68,440 | $155,000 | -2% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 970 | 1.45 | $114,000 | $51,140 | $170,870 | -2% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,680 | 1.02 | $113,750 | $76,490 | $173,290 | +11% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 1,130 | 1.41 | $108,190 | $67,230 | $166,490 | +2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 710 | 0.57 | $104,310 | $66,850 | $140,070 | +31% |
| Management Analysts | 2,810 | 2.02 | $102,020 | $62,150 | $137,960 | +0% |
These figures are for the whole Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $63,490 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 46.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 17.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.0% |
| Manufacturing | 4.8% |
| Retail trade | 4.8% |
| Information | 3.5% |
| Other services | 2.1% |
| Construction | 1.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.5% |
| Public administration | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Princeton 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 385,864 | $56,807 million | $147,219 | 264,154 | 11,677 | $90,503 | +0.9% | 4.2% | 197,461 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 28,730 | 15.5% | $70,701 | 0.76 |
| Professional and technical services | 24,547 | 13.2% | $156,393 | 1.34 |
| Retail trade | 18,517 | 10.0% | $40,342 | 0.70 |
| Administrative and waste services | 16,377 | 8.8% | $46,418 | 1.05 |
| Educational services | 15,734 | 8.5% | $100,981 | 2.88 |
| Finance and insurance | 14,692 | 7.9% | $155,381 | 1.37 |
| Accommodation and food services | 12,694 | 6.8% | $29,630 | 0.53 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11,135 | 6.0% | $50,690 | 1.00 |
| Manufacturing | 10,061 | 5.4% | $146,747 | 0.46 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,228 | 3.9% | $56,269 | 0.91 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,895 | 3.7% | $128,150 | 0.66 |
| Construction | 5,683 | 3.1% | $96,995 | 0.41 |
| Management of companies | 4,929 | 2.7% | $210,649 | 1.11 |
| Information | 3,034 | 1.6% | $140,742 | 0.61 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,549 | 1.4% | $76,155 | 0.62 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,188 | 1.2% | $29,729 | 0.49 |
| Utilities | 631 | 0.3% | $171,004 | 0.63 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 161 | 0.1% | $30,433 | 0.08 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 15 | 0.0% | $109,078 | 0.02 |
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 | 32.1% |
| Public transit | 7.7% |
| Walk | 19.9% |
| Work from home | 32.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 14.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $192,079 |
| Income per person | $87,301 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,636 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.5% |
| Median home value | $1,050,600 |
| Homeowners | 55.4% |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.2 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $63,490 |
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 | 28.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 97.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 84.7% |
| Born abroad | 30.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.3% |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Meadows | NJ | 6 mi | 15,561 | $131,213 | $2,010 |
| Mercerville | NJ | 9 mi | 13,535 | $128,277 | $1,621 |
| Hillsborough | NJ | 10 mi | 22,585 | $144,112 | $1,986 |
| Trenton | NJ | 11 mi | 90,338 | $52,537 | $1,294 |
| Morrisville | PA | 12 mi | 9,752 | $99,526 | $1,044 |
| Somerset | NJ | 14 mi | 22,720 | $121,028 | $2,121 |
| New Brunswick | NJ | 15 mi | 56,345 | $65,810 | $1,814 |
| Bradley Gardens | NJ | 15 mi | 14,165 | $177,849 | $2,670 |
| Somerville | NJ | 15 mi | 13,410 | $103,760 | $1,802 |
| Highland Park | NJ | 16 mi | 15,121 | $104,694 | $1,873 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
30,756 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,636 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.5% of the median household income.
$192,079 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.2% (BLS county, Mercer County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Jersey. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.