Money Matters - Metro Areas with Biggest Wage Increases

 New research has revealed the US metro areas with the biggest wage increases.

The study by AlgoCademy compared hourly mean wages from 2019 to 2024 across 395 metropolitan statistical areas nationwide, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top 10 Metro Areas by Wage Growth (2019-2024)

Rank	Metro Area	State	2019 Hourly Mean Wage	2024 Hourly Mean Wage	Percentage Increase
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	California	$40.37	$58.25	44.29%
2	Sebring	Florida	$17.81	$24.71	38.74%
3	Decatur	Illinois	$22.01	$30.35	37.89%
4	Boulder	Colorado	$32.29	$44.51	37.84%
5	Bellingham	Washington	$24.23	$33.22	37.10%
6	Grants Pass	Oregon	$20.56	$27.88	35.60%
7	Ocala	Florida	$19.06	$25.75	35.10%
8	Modesto	California	$23.67	$31.91	34.81%
9	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach	Florida	$19.68	$26.46	34.45%
10	Logan	Utah	$20.19	$27.14	34.42%

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads all U.S. metro areas with an increase of 44.29% in mean hourly wages. Workers in this California tech hub now earn an average of $58.25 per hour, up from $40.37 in 2019.

Sebring, Florida, ranks second nationwide with a 38.74% increase in mean hourly wages. The central Florida metro area saw wages rise from $17.81 to $24.71 over the five years.

Decatur, Illinois, takes third place with wages increasing by 37.89%, rising from $22.01 to $30.35 per hour.

Boulder, Colorado, ranks fourth with a 37.84% increase, with hourly wages growing from $32.29 to $44.51.

Bellingham, Washington, shows the fifth-highest wage growth at 37.10%, with hourly wages rising from $24.23 to $33.22.

Grants Pass, Oregon, ranks sixth with a 35.60% increase, as hourly wages grew from $20.56 to $27.88.

Ocala, Florida, comes in seventh with a 35.10% increase, with mean hourly wages rising from $19.06 to $25.75. This represents the second Florida metro area in the top 10.

Modesto, California, ranks eighth with a 34.81% increase, with hourly wages growing from $23.67 to $31.91. This marks the second California entry in the top 10

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida, shows the ninth-highest wage growth at 34.45%, with hourly wages increasing from $19.68 to $26.46. This represents Florida's third entry in the top 10.

Logan, Utah, rounds out the top 10 with a 34.42% increase, with mean hourly wages rising from $20.19 to $27.14.

Mircea Dima, Founder & CEO of AlgoCademy, commented on the findings:

"From this data, we can see big wage growth isn’t always limited to large urban hubs. Smaller and mid-sized areas like Grants Pass, Oregon, Modesto, California, and Logan, Utah are all seeing wage increases above 34%, showing that opportunities for higher earnings are spreading beyond major US cities. These trends are a clear sign that workers across the country are benefitting, which can have a positive effect on local communities, from boosting spending power to attracting new talent and investment.”

Methodology: This research analyzed changes in the hourly wage for 395 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across the United States. Data was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the years 2019 and 2024 to compare the five-year change, and areas were ranked on the biggest percentage change.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics - https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm