Jobs, pay and daily life in Wilkes-Barre, 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.
Wilkes-Barre is a city in Pennsylvania with 44,423 residents. The median household earns $48,515 a year and the median rent is $946 a month, which is 23.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 255,620 jobs.
How Wilkes-Barre compares. Among the 100 largest places in Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre is #12 by population, #82 for household income (#1 = highest), #82 for remote work (#1 = most), #80 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Luzerne County, is #26 of 67 counties for average pay ($55,901).
Wilkes-Barre has 44,423 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Pennsylvania. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,487 people per square mile. The median age is 34.7, 15% younger than the state median (34.7 against 40.9).
The median gross rent is $946 a month (rent plus utilities), 22% below the state median ($946 against $1,209). Over a year that is 23.4% 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 $117,200, which is 2.4 times the median household income ($48,515); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 51.2% of households own their home, 26% below the state average (51.2% against 69.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metropolitan area has 255,620 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 transportation and material moving (39,350 jobs, median $44,410); office and administrative support (28,870 jobs, median $45,080); production (20,870 jobs, median $46,180). The area is most specialised in transportation and material moving (1.8 times) and production (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($98,530) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($75,350). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Luzerne County was 4.1%. 58.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Luzerne County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.0% drive alone, 2.2% use public transit, 5.9% walk, 8.2% work from home. 9.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 45% below the state average (9.1% against 16.4%).
20.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42% below the state share (20.5% against 35.2%). 16.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 119% above the state share (16.9% against 7.7%). The poverty rate is 23.1%, 97% above the state rate (23.1% against 11.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.2°C). About 1,213 mm (48 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (122 mm) and Feb the driest (71 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: Kingston (1 miles, rent 10% higher); Nanticoke (7 miles, rent 16% lower); Mountain Top (8 miles, rent 10% lower); Scranton (15 miles, rent 11% higher). Rent differences are against Wilkes-Barre; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Pennsylvania (519) →State guide: PennsylvaniaCountry guideLuzerne CountyPennsylvania 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 519 federal postings open in Pennsylvania (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Pennsylvania →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 10,250 | 2.20 | $37,410 | $29,560 | $47,030 | +0% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 9,970 | 1.41 | $29,460 | $25,020 | $38,390 | -18% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 9,630 | 1.99 | $42,900 | $34,230 | $54,440 | +7% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 6,450 | 1.02 | $27,520 | $21,720 | $34,980 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,330 | 0.99 | $30,020 | $22,620 | $45,390 | -15% |
| General and Operations Managers | 6,010 | 1.04 | $93,820 | $46,860 | $196,360 | -11% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,400 | 0.97 | $82,650 | $63,620 | $103,180 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,210 | 1.54 | $57,580 | $39,670 | $78,830 | -2% |
| Cashiers | 5,200 | 1.02 | $28,380 | $21,920 | $34,770 | -14% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,830 | 1.19 | $43,160 | $29,560 | $59,510 | -4% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 4,240 | 3.33 | $48,860 | $37,610 | $61,140 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 3,790 | 1.64 | $37,780 | $29,760 | $56,810 | -15% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,610 | 0.85 | $42,010 | $30,490 | $60,350 | -6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,400 | 0.94 | $36,570 | $28,350 | $47,570 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,200 | 0.86 | $29,770 | $16,850 | $60,200 | -15% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,080 | 1.30 | $43,980 | $37,640 | $46,420 | +4% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,750 | 1.09 | $49,710 | $34,530 | $76,230 | +0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,670 | 0.95 | $44,260 | $31,200 | $58,890 | -7% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 2,500 | 1.06 | $62,400 | $44,980 | $91,800 | -10% |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 2,270 | 2.13 | $61,740 | $53,820 | $74,340 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 640 | 1.13 | $232,880 | $62,760 | $598,910 | -12% |
| Pharmacists | 570 | 1.08 | $130,950 | $108,010 | $153,290 | -7% |
| Financial Managers | 920 | 0.67 | $124,920 | $72,510 | $214,910 | -25% |
| Software Developers | 730 | 0.26 | $119,960 | $71,630 | $167,410 | -12% |
| Sales Managers | 600 | 0.57 | $116,120 | $63,300 | $210,130 | -22% |
| Managers, All Other | 540 | 0.53 | $111,970 | $64,420 | $189,180 | -21% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 550 | 1.03 | $103,240 | $77,510 | $137,900 | -2% |
| Lawyers | 810 | 0.65 | $100,420 | $50,440 | $207,710 | -37% |
| Physical Therapists | 500 | 1.14 | $99,520 | $76,050 | $124,910 | -3% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,330 | 1.35 | $99,340 | $64,680 | $160,120 | -20% |
| General and Operations Managers | 6,010 | 1.04 | $93,820 | $46,860 | $196,360 | -11% |
| Management Analysts | 680 | 0.46 | $93,150 | $55,770 | $140,940 | -9% |
| Industrial Engineers | 510 | 0.85 | $93,100 | $71,330 | $127,500 | -9% |
| Project Management Specialists | 870 | 0.49 | $91,820 | $57,280 | $138,610 | -10% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 540 | 0.64 | $84,820 | $52,500 | $123,960 | -20% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,400 | 0.97 | $82,650 | $63,620 | $103,180 | -15% |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,560 | 1.53 | $80,030 | $48,320 | $96,640 | +24% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 990 | 0.74 | $78,660 | $57,210 | $124,990 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 910 | 0.90 | $77,940 | $50,280 | $125,250 | -2% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,780 | 0.78 | $76,590 | $48,220 | $91,670 | +20% |
These figures are for the whole Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,330 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.1% |
| Retail trade | 15.3% |
| Manufacturing | 10.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 10.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.9% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.4% |
| Public administration | 3.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.4% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Wilkes-Barre 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County | 327,675 | $20,580 million | $62,808 | 145,190 | 7,474 | $55,901 | +0.5% | 4.1% | 163,567 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 23,720 | 18.4% | $60,843 | 1.14 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 19,236 | 15.0% | $52,955 | 3.13 |
| Manufacturing | 17,873 | 13.9% | $66,010 | 1.50 |
| Retail trade | 15,873 | 12.3% | $35,150 | 1.09 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,073 | 8.6% | $22,247 | 0.84 |
| Administrative and waste services | 8,993 | 7.0% | $41,064 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 5,248 | 4.1% | $70,023 | 0.69 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,776 | 3.7% | $72,640 | 0.83 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,947 | 3.1% | $79,007 | 0.39 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,810 | 3.0% | $39,170 | 0.87 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,678 | 2.9% | $80,053 | 0.62 |
| Educational services | 3,193 | 2.5% | $46,657 | 1.06 |
| Management of companies | 1,636 | 1.3% | $96,652 | 0.67 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,393 | 1.1% | $35,155 | 0.57 |
| Utilities | 1,323 | 1.0% | $148,029 | 2.40 |
| Information | 1,264 | 1.0% | $67,076 | 0.46 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,097 | 0.9% | $52,859 | 0.49 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 329 | 0.3% | $80,917 | 0.60 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 131 | 0.1% | $46,044 | 0.11 |
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 | 69.0% |
| Public transit | 2.2% |
| Walk | 5.9% |
| Work from home | 8.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,515 |
| Income per person | $25,979 |
| Median gross rent per month | $946 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.4% |
| Median home value | $117,200 |
| Homeowners | 51.2% |
| Poverty rate | 23.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 93.6 |
| 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 3.07%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 84.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.5% |
| Born abroad | 16.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.2 | 24 | 74 |
| Feb | -3.2 | 26 | 71 |
| Mar | 1.4 | 35 | 86 |
| Apr | 8.2 | 47 | 96 |
| May | 14.5 | 58 | 105 |
| Jun | 19.3 | 67 | 122 |
| Jul | 22.2 | 72 | 120 |
| Aug | 21.4 | 71 | 119 |
| Sep | 17.7 | 64 | 122 |
| Oct | 10.7 | 51 | 116 |
| Nov | 4.3 | 40 | 84 |
| Dec | -1.1 | 30 | 98 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | PA | 1 mi | 13,397 | $55,347 | $1,038 |
| Nanticoke | PA | 7 mi | 10,653 | $57,462 | $792 |
| Mountain Top | PA | 8 mi | 11,850 | $109,535 | $849 |
| Scranton | PA | 15 mi | 76,033 | $50,739 | $1,048 |
| Dunmore | PA | 18 mi | 14,181 | $71,302 | $928 |
| Hazleton | PA | 21 mi | 30,111 | $46,177 | $1,089 |
| Berwick | PA | 24 mi | 10,317 | $49,800 | $797 |
| Bloomsburg | PA | 35 mi | 13,024 | $51,536 | $980 |
| Pottsville | PA | 43 mi | 13,364 | $54,332 | $822 |
| Northampton | PA | 44 mi | 10,400 | $90,762 | $1,174 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
44,423 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$946 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.4% of the median household income.
$48,515 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Luzerne County (latest month 2026M09)).
Pennsylvania. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.