State salary profile · Vermont

Vermont Salaries

Largest Vermont OEWS employment footprints with published wages, from BLS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

$183,168
Mean of top 50 medians
527
Occupations
3
Local wage areas
19,160
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Vermont is $183,168.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 527 occupations in Vermont; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Surgeons, All Other, earns $438,530, versus $29,290 for Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 1 metro area and 2 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

Vermont · employment ≠ wage

In Vermont, Retail Salespersons lead by published employment (8,250 jobs, #1 of 506) but rank #485 of 506 on median wage ($37,400), while Surgeons, All Other top the wage list at $438,530 (#1 of 506) with 160 jobs (#286 of 506). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

8,250
Retail Salespersons employment #1
$438,530
Surgeons wage #1
#286
Employment rank of wage leader
#485
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 Vermont's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

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

jobs

What this shows Retail Salespersons lead Vermont by employment; Surgeons, All Other lead on median wage at $438,530.

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

Vermont, the picture in one line

Vermont ranks #19 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Surgeons, All Other at $438,530. Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

#19
of 54 states by published mean wage
$438,530
top-paying: Surgeons, All Other
65th
percentile among all states
Burlington-South Burlington, VT
local OEWS: Burlington-South Burlington, VT and Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT.

Largest published OEWS footprints in Vermont

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

  1. 1. Financial Managers 1,790 jobs · $128,690
  2. 2. Software Developers 1,740 jobs · $125,280
  3. 3. Lawyers 1,330 jobs · $127,310
  4. 4. Computer Occupations, All Other 1,320 jobs · $111,530
  5. 5. Computer and Information Systems Managers 1,100 jobs · $138,460
  6. 6. Managers, All Other 1,060 jobs · $125,440
  7. 7. Sales Managers 930 jobs · $138,650
  8. 8. Medical and Health Services Managers 860 jobs · $128,690
  9. 9. Electrical Engineers 820 jobs · $111,310
  10. 10. Nurse Practitioners 700 jobs · $134,740
  11. 11. Pharmacists 530 jobs · $136,270
  12. 12. Personal Financial Advisors 520 jobs · $110,020
  13. 13. Industrial Production Managers 480 jobs · $114,150
  14. 14. Physicians, All Other 440 jobs · $343,050
  15. 15. Physician Assistants 410 jobs · $150,490
  16. 16. Engineers, All Other 390 jobs · $126,550
  17. 17. Chief Executives 360 jobs · $175,070
  18. 18. Human Resources Managers 360 jobs · $132,050
  19. 19. Architectural and Engineering Managers 350 jobs · $157,710
  20. 20. Natural Sciences Managers 290 jobs · $131,290

Local BLS wage areas inside Vermont

Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

Burlington-South Burlington, VT Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Vermont moved from $52,410 in May 2024 to $56,390 in May 2025 (+7.6%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Vermont sits +4.8 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Home Health and Personal Care Aides shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Vermont

Home Health and Personal Care Aides publishes $41,600 here versus $35,800 nationally (+16.2%; 7,700statewide jobs). Next is Fast Food and Counter Workers at $36,030 locally versus $31,200 nationally (+15.5%).

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides$41,600 in Vermont sits 16.2% above the national Home Health and Personal Care Aides median of $35,800 (7,700 published local jobs).
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers$36,030 in Vermont sits 15.5% above the national Fast Food and Counter Workers median of $31,200 (6,830 published local jobs).
  3. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$40,910 in Vermont sits 11.0% above the national Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners median of $36,840 (5,130 published local jobs).
  4. Cashiers$35,720 in Vermont sits 8.6% above the national Cashiers median of $32,880 (7,030 published local jobs).

Home Health and Personal Care Aides and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Vermont; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Vermont OEWS table has a published median for 527 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 19,160; 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 $183,168 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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

At the top of the ranking, Surgeons, All Other pays a Vermont median of $438,530, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Anesthesiologists at $434,780, followed by Neurologists at $434,730. At the bottom of the published range, Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other has a median of $29,290, making the displayed endpoint ratio 15.0×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 1 metro area and 2 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Vermont, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

The employment-ordered lead of Financial Managers / Software Developers is the Vermont mix signal in this sample; the salary-ordered top of Surgeons, All Other answers a different question. Neither row identifies why pay differs, open the occupation page for percentiles and local-area cells BLS actually releases.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$183,168

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$438,530

Surgeons, All Other

Where Vermont ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Burlington-South Burlington, VT and Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

$69,050 Top 35% higher than 65% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $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 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 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%

$69,050 · 65th percentile of 54 states & territories

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

Vermont ranks #19 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($69,050). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $69,050 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $70,459. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Vermont (RPP 98.0, 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 Vermont

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 527 distinct occupations in Vermont. 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 Vermont, by employment

View all 100 →

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

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Financial Managers $128,690
2 Software Developers $125,280
3 Lawyers $127,310
4 Computer Occupations, All Other $111,530
5 Computer and Information Systems Managers $138,460
6 Managers, All Other $125,440
7 Sales Managers $138,650
8 Medical and Health Services Managers $128,690
9 Electrical Engineers $111,310
10 Nurse Practitioners $134,740
11 Pharmacists $136,270
12 Personal Financial Advisors $110,020
13 Industrial Production Managers $114,150
14 Physicians, All Other $343,050
15 Physician Assistants $150,490
16 Engineers, All Other $126,550
17 Chief Executives $175,070
18 Human Resources Managers $132,050
19 Architectural and Engineering Managers $157,710
20 Natural Sciences Managers $131,290
21 Veterinarians $131,820
22 Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $108,520
23 Family Medicine Physicians $239,340
24 Dentists, General $204,960
25 Information Security Analysts $109,750
26 Data Scientists $127,070
27 General Internal Medicine Physicians $228,670
28 Fundraising Managers $129,170
29 Surgeons, All Other $438,530
30 Emergency Medicine Physicians $430,820
31 Pediatricians, General $215,350
32 Computer Network Architects $110,930
33 Aerospace Engineers $144,400
34 Anesthesiologists $434,780
35 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $418,760
36 Optometrists $137,290
37 Purchasing Managers $135,720
38 Psychiatrists $302,770
39 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $194,170
40 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary $134,850
41 Art Directors $129,260
42 Nurse Midwives $151,030
43 Neurologists $434,730
44 Nurse Anesthetists $283,060
45 Commercial Pilots $137,810
46 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $258,910
47 Air Traffic Controllers $109,140
48 Physicians, Pathologists $188,250
49 Training and Development Managers $124,990
50 Sales Engineers $116,790

Lowest Paying Jobs in Vermont

Occupation Median Salary
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other $29,290
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $31,080
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other $32,420
Medical Transcriptionists $33,030
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $34,120
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $34,650
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $35,170
Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys $35,220
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $35,290
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $35,690
Cashiers $35,720
Dishwashers $36,010
Fast Food and Counter Workers $36,030
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $36,030
Animal Caretakers $36,090
Library Assistants, Clerical $36,430
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $36,490
Food Preparation Workers $36,550
Demonstrators and Product Promoters $37,040
Stockers and Order Fillers $37,130
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers $37,290
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $37,300
Pharmacy Aides $37,310
Retail Salespersons $37,400
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $37,440

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

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

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Vermont

Burlington-South Burlington, VT Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

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 Vermont. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($69,050 here) and reported employment (303,890 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 Vermont pages

Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area.

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

Local OEWS wage area

Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Vermont

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Vermont

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Surgeons, All Other

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Vermont? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $183,168/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 Vermont? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $69,050/year for Vermont in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 19th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Vermont? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Vermont is Surgeons, All Other with a median salary of $438,530/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Anesthesiologists at $434,780/year.
What jobs pay the least in Vermont? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Vermont ranking is Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other at $29,290/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 Vermont? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 1 metro area and 2 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Vermont. Published local OEWS areas include Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area. 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 Vermont? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 527 distinct occupations in Vermont. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 19,160 jobs in covered establishments.

Federal sources behind Vermont wages

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS QCEW state series → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Vermont wage data in a real decision

  • Financial Managers anchors the largest published OEWS footprint in Vermont, ahead of Software Developers; hold that mix next to Burlington-South Burlington, VT and Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area when the pay table alone does not describe the local mix. Financial Managers
  • Inside Vermont, re-check Surgeons, All Other in Burlington-South Burlington, VT, Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area, Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Burlington-South Burlington, VT
  • Open Surgeons, All Other for percentile bands and local-area rows; Vermont's statewide median of $438,530 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Surgeons, All Other
  • The published Vermont range runs from Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other at $29,290 to Surgeons, All Other at $438,530; 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.