State salary profile · Minnesota

Minnesota Salaries

Minnesota statewide wages plus 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

$248,245
Mean of top 50 medians
720
Occupations
9
Local wage areas
142,990
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Minnesota is $248,245.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 720 occupations in Minnesota; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Radiologists, earns $708,340, versus $25,470 for Waiters and Waitresses at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

Minnesota · employment ≠ wage

In Minnesota, Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead by published employment (128,680 jobs, #1 of 693) but rank #641 of 693 on median wage ($38,370), while Radiologists top the wage list at $708,340 (#1 of 693) with 440 jobs (#488 of 693). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

128,680
Home Health and Personal C... employment #1
$708,340
Radiologists wage #1
#488
Employment rank of wage leader
#641
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Minnesota's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead Minnesota by employment; Radiologists lead on median wage at $708,340.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Minnesota, the picture in one line

Minnesota ranks #15 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Radiologists at $708,340. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

#15
of 54 states by published mean wage
$708,340
top-paying: Radiologists
72nd
percentile among all states
Duluth, MN-WI
local OEWS: Duluth, MN-WI and Mankato, MN

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Duluth, MN-WI.

Statewide OEWS footprints behind Minnesota's 9 local areas

Financial Managers and Lawyers lead Minnesota's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Financial Managers 16,680 jobs · $163,410
  2. 2. Lawyers 12,380 jobs · $155,140
  3. 3. Sales Managers 11,240 jobs · $151,670
  4. 4. Computer and Information Systems Managers 10,970 jobs · $176,380
  5. 5. Marketing Managers 8,500 jobs · $173,300
  6. 6. Nurse Practitioners 7,780 jobs · $133,260
  7. 7. Administrative Services Managers 7,560 jobs · $137,290
  8. 8. Chief Executives 6,740 jobs · $195,670
  9. 9. Pharmacists 6,310 jobs · $159,740
  10. 10. Physicians, All Other 5,350 jobs · $367,320
  11. 11. Architectural and Engineering Managers 4,580 jobs · $172,130
  12. 12. Human Resources Managers 4,370 jobs · $153,770
  13. 13. Managers, All Other 4,160 jobs · $152,600
  14. 14. Physician Assistants 3,660 jobs · $141,190
  15. 15. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 2,960 jobs · $211,470
  16. 16. Dentists, General 2,370 jobs · $219,200
  17. 17. General Internal Medicine Physicians 2,270 jobs · $373,700
  18. 18. Veterinarians 2,140 jobs · $133,110
  19. 19. Nurse Anesthetists 2,130 jobs · $266,190
  20. 20. Computer Network Architects 2,040 jobs · $133,270

Local BLS wage areas inside Minnesota

Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

Duluth, MN-WI Mankato, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area Rochester, MN Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area St. Cloud, MN

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Minnesota moved from $53,810 in May 2024 to $56,920 in May 2025 (+5.8%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Minnesota sits +3.0 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Minnesota

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters publishes $94,410 here versus $63,800 nationally (+48.0%; 10,720statewide jobs). Next is Physicians, All Other at $367,320 locally versus $265,930 nationally (+38.1%).

  1. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$94,410 in Minnesota sits 48.0% above the national Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters median of $63,800 (10,720 published local jobs).
  2. Physicians, All Other$367,320 in Minnesota sits 38.1% above the national Physicians, All Other median of $265,930 (5,350 published local jobs).
  3. Dental Assistants$65,270 in Minnesota sits 35.8% above the national Dental Assistants median of $48,070 (5,980 published local jobs).
  4. Firefighters$38,110 in Minnesota sits 35.7% below the national Firefighters median of $59,280 (5,810 published local jobs).

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Minnesota; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Minnesota OEWS table has a published median for 720 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 142,990; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $248,245 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

At the top of the ranking, Radiologists pays a Minnesota median of $708,340, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Dermatologists at $625,790, followed by Surgeons, All Other at $568,150. At the bottom of the published range, Waiters and Waitresses has a median of $25,470, making the displayed endpoint ratio 27.8×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Minnesota, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Because Minnesota publishes 9 OEWS areas, treat the statewide Radiologists median as a roll-up and re-check the same occupation in Duluth, MN-WI or Mankato, MN where BLS releases the row. Tips and commissions stay inside OEWS; benefits and equity do not. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$248,245

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$708,340

Radiologists

Where Minnesota ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Duluth, MN-WI and Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

$71,160 Top 28% higher than 72% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$71,160 · 72nd percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Minnesota ranks #15 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($71,160). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $71,160 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $72,170. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Minnesota (RPP 98.6, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Minnesota

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 720 distinct occupations in Minnesota. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Minnesota, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Minnesota jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Financial Managers $163,410
2 Lawyers $155,140
3 Sales Managers $151,670
4 Computer and Information Systems Managers $176,380
5 Marketing Managers $173,300
6 Nurse Practitioners $133,260
7 Administrative Services Managers $137,290
8 Chief Executives $195,670
9 Pharmacists $159,740
10 Physicians, All Other $367,320
11 Architectural and Engineering Managers $172,130
12 Human Resources Managers $153,770
13 Managers, All Other $152,600
14 Physician Assistants $141,190
15 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $211,470
16 Dentists, General $219,200
17 General Internal Medicine Physicians $373,700
18 Veterinarians $133,110
19 Nurse Anesthetists $266,190
20 Computer Network Architects $133,270
21 Family Medicine Physicians $280,030
22 Natural Sciences Managers $136,450
23 Purchasing Managers $144,810
24 Database Architects $133,050
25 Public Relations Managers $139,040
26 Emergency Medicine Physicians $390,940
27 Surgeons, All Other $568,150
28 Pediatricians, General $226,660
29 Anesthesiologists $496,510
30 Computer Hardware Engineers $134,300
31 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $321,910
32 Optometrists $158,700
33 Air Traffic Controllers $176,840
34 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $190,110
35 Psychiatrists $336,410
36 Physicians, Pathologists $362,270
37 Physical Scientists, All Other $147,890
38 Radiologists $708,340
39 Nurse Midwives $134,810
40 Compensation and Benefits Managers $163,390
41 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $537,830
42 Neurologists $381,670
43 Dermatologists $625,790
44 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $372,200
45 Aerospace Engineers $159,060
46 Podiatrists $261,180
47 Physicists $171,220
48 Law Teachers, Postsecondary $171,790
49 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $475,250
50 Computer and Information Research Scientists $135,850

Lowest Paying Jobs in Minnesota

Occupation Median Salary
Waiters and Waitresses $25,470
Bartenders $26,900
Gambling Dealers $27,190
Craft Artists $27,560
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $29,210
Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants $29,710
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $30,200
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $30,830
Fast Food and Counter Workers $31,370
Gambling Service Workers, All Other $31,540
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $31,700
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $31,870
Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other $32,150
Cooks, Short Order $32,150
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $32,670
Driver/Sales Workers $32,980
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $33,480
Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers $33,820
Dishwashers $34,060
Cooks, Fast Food $34,120
Demonstrators and Product Promoters $34,180
Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other $34,440
Cashiers $34,620
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other $34,670
Food Preparation Workers $34,850

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Minnesota. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Minnesota. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($71,160 here) and reported employment (2,949,820 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Minnesota pages

Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN.

Duluth, MN-WI

Local OEWS wage area

Mankato, MN

Local OEWS wage area

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

Local OEWS wage area

Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Rochester, MN

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Minnesota

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Minnesota

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Radiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Minnesota? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $248,245/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Minnesota? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $71,160/year for Minnesota in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 15th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Minnesota? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Minnesota is Radiologists with a median salary of $708,340/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Dermatologists at $625,790/year.
What jobs pay the least in Minnesota? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Minnesota ranking is Waiters and Waitresses at $25,470/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Minnesota? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 5 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Minnesota. Published local OEWS areas include Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Rochester, MN, then Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, St. Cloud, MN. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Minnesota? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 720 distinct occupations in Minnesota. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 142,990 jobs in covered establishments.

Local-area sources inside Minnesota

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS OEWS metro area tables → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Minnesota wage data in a real decision

  • Minnesota has 9 published OEWS areas starting with Duluth, MN-WI; open Radiologists inside a metro before using the statewide $708,340 median. Duluth, MN-WI
  • Inside Minnesota, re-check Radiologists in Duluth, MN-WI, Mankato, MN, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area or Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Duluth, MN-WI
  • Open Radiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Minnesota's statewide median of $708,340 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Radiologists
  • The published Minnesota range runs from Waiters and Waitresses at $25,470 to Radiologists at $708,340; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.