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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Esmeralda County is a county of Nevada with 1,028 residents. Its economy produced $47 million in 2024 (ranked #17 of 17 counties) and had 284 jobs with an average annual pay of $61,632 (#13 for pay). The unemployment rate was 5.7% in 2026M09.
Esmeralda County produced about $47 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.0% of the combined output of the 17 counties of Nevada that BEA reports (about 0.0% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 17th of 17 on that measure. Per resident that is $45,648, 46% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $84,472. In current dollars output grew -23.3% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 284 jobs located in Esmeralda County on average in 2024, spread over 23 employer sites (about 12 jobs per site). That is 0.28 jobs for every resident, below the 0.42 of the typical county in Nevada, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $61,632, 7% below the average of all counties in the state ($61,632 against $66,313). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs fell 16.7% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are mining, oil and gas (78.4% of private jobs, $90,541 a year on average), agriculture, forestry, fishing (21.6% of private jobs, $42,429 a year on average). Together they hold 100.0% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is mining, oil and gas at $90,541 a year, followed by agriculture, forestry, fishing ($42,429). Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: agriculture, forestry, fishing ($42,429). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Esmeralda County was 5.7%, 26% above the average of the state's counties (5.7% against 4.5%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 265. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.4% (2026M04) to 9.0% (2026M02); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $41,715 (ACS 2020–2024), 47% below the state median ($41,715 against $78,260). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Esmeralda County in output are Lincoln County, Mineral County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 17 counties of Nevada ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,028 | 17 of 17 |
| GDP 2024 | $47 million | 17 of 17 |
| GDP per resident | $45,648 | 16 of 17 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 284 | 17 of 17 |
| Average annual pay | $61,632 | 13 of 17 |
| Job change vs 2023 | -16.7% | 17 of 17 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 5.7% | 15 of 17 |
| Median household income | $41,715 | 17 of 17 |
Federal jobs in Nevada (347) →All cities of NevadaState guide: Nevada
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.
None of the 60 largest places of Nevada has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining, oil and gas | 116 | 78.4% | $90,541 | 107.99 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 32 | 21.6% | $42,429 | 13.92 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 265 |
| Employed residents | 250 |
| Unemployed residents | 15 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 284 |
| Employer sites | 23 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 2,329,548 | $195,936 million | $84,109 | 1,124,772 | $64,985 | 4.8% |
| Washoe County | 497,200 | $43,717 million | $87,927 | 240,544 | $69,452 | 3.5% |
| Lyon County | 61,680 | $2,368 million | $38,390 | 13,744 | $58,903 | 3.9% |
| Carson City | 58,384 | $5,376 million | $92,087 | 31,895 | $69,100 | 3.5% |
| Nye County | 54,344 | $2,670 million | $49,133 | 13,764 | $68,204 | 6.0% |
| Elko County | 54,047 | $3,995 million | $73,912 | 22,205 | $64,165 | 3.0% |
| Douglas County | 49,623 | $4,048 million | $81,579 | 20,644 | $69,271 | 3.7% |
| Churchill County | 25,805 | $1,639 million | $63,531 | 8,837 | $60,811 | 4.0% |
| Humboldt County | 17,289 | $1,815 million | $104,992 | 7,812 | $72,366 | 3.0% |
| White Pine County | 8,735 | $1,332 million | $152,463 | 4,323 | $76,315 | 3.8% |
| Pershing County | 6,487 | $592 million | $91,295 | 1,972 | $82,386 | 3.6% |
| Lander County | 5,770 | $921 million | $159,537 | 3,626 | $96,950 | 3.7% |
| Mineral County | 4,542 | $233 million | $51,223 | 1,166 | $55,205 | 7.2% |
| Lincoln County | 4,405 | $254 million | $57,764 | 1,350 | $49,874 | 3.9% |
| Storey County | 4,140 | $2,769 million | $668,900 | 19,320 | $83,629 | 5.1% |
| Eureka County | 1,585 | $1,297 million | $818,580 | 4,450 | $117,686 | 4.3% |
| Esmeralda County | 1,028 | $47 million | $45,648 | 284 | $61,632 | 5.7% |
1,028 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$47 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
5.7% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
284 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $61,632 (BLS QCEW).