Analyze Occupational Wage Data in Tucson, Arizona MSA
How are we doing?
Median Wage for All Occupations (2025)
Tucson’s median wage for all occupations was $47,760 in 2025, ranking ninth among peer western Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). It was $3,220 below the U.S. median, an improvement from 2021 when it was nearly $8,000 lower. Denver reported the highest median wage among peer western MSAs at $62,320. Within Tucson, management occupations had the highest median wage at $100,780, while food preparation and serving occupations had the lowest at $34,990. Wage growth accelerated in 2022 and 2023, increasing by 11.5% and 6.0%, respectively. By 2025, it had returned to a modest rate of 2.8%.
Why is it important?
Occupational wages are an important measure of economic opportunity and workforce competitiveness. They influence household income, purchasing power, and quality of life, and they also affect employers' ability to attract and retain workers. In turn, wage differences across occupations offer insight into labor market demand and skill requirements. Tracking occupational wages helps identify high-paying occupations and evaluate how local earnings compare to state and national benchmarks. It also provides insight into whether wage growth is keeping pace with inflation and the cost of living.
How do we compare?
The five highest-paying occupations in the Tucson MSA in 2025 were management, computer and mathematical, architecture and engineering, legal, and health care practitioners. The five lowest-paying occupations were food preparation and serving, sales and related, building and grounds maintenance, farming, fishing, and forestry, and personal care and service occupations. Overall, the wage gap between Tucson and the U.S. was generally larger for higher-paying occupations than for lower-paying occupations. One notable exception was protective service occupations, where Tucson’s median wage was $2,820 higher than the national median.
What are the key trends?
Since 2001, the median wage in the Tucson MSA has increased at an average annual rate of 2.9%, slightly faster than the national rate of 2.7%. Following the Great Recession, wage growth in Tucson averaged 1.9% annually between 2009 and 2020. In 2021, median wages declined by approximately 2.0% in both Tucson and Arizona, while the national median wage increased by 9.1%. Wages in Tucson then grew faster than the national median in 2022 and 2023, at 11.5% and 6.0%, helping narrow the gap with U.S. wages. Wage growth moderated in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, Tucson’s median wage increased by 2.8%, reaching $47,760, compared with growth of 2.6% in Arizona and 3.0% nationally.
How is it measured?
Occupational wages are reported as pre-tax earnings and exclude fringe benefits. Wage data come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which provides annual employment and wage estimates for more than 800 occupations and industries. The median wage is the midpoint of the wage distribution; half of workers earn wages above the median, and half earn wages below it.
