Average weekly wages in the United States increased 3.9% from a year earlier to $1,654 in the first quarter of 2026, according to detailed county employment and wage data released by BLS on August 28. But employment growth was much less widespread: only 151 of the 376 largest U.S. counties recorded year-over-year employment increases in March.
For professionals comparing U.S. cities or considering relocation, those two numbers tell different stories.
What does the national picture show?
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages measured national employment at approximately 154.8 million in March 2026, only 0.1% higher than March 2025.
Average weekly wages, meanwhile, rose 3.9% over the year.
That does not mean every worker received a 3.9% pay increase. QCEW averages can change because of actual wage increases, shifts in the mix of jobs and workers, bonuses or changes in employment across high- and low-paying industries.
The geographical variation is substantial.
Licking County, Ohio, posted the largest employment percentage gain among the large counties included in the release, at 3.6%.
Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia, each recorded 4.5% employment declines. BLS said Washington’s decrease was led by government employment, while Arlington’s was led by professional and business services.
Where did wages move most?
Among the largest counties, 358 recorded year-over-year increases in average weekly wages.
BLS identified St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, as having the largest percentage wage increase, although a very large movement within its natural-resources-and-mining category contributed materially to that result. That makes it a good example of why unusually large county percentages require industry context.
San Francisco recorded the largest percentage decline in average weekly wages among the large counties, at 9.6%, with professional and business services making the largest contribution to the reduction.
Among the 10 largest counties, New York County posted the strongest wage increase at 7.9%, with financial activities making the largest contribution.
What does this mean for Indian professionals choosing where to live?
Salary is only one part of the financial calculation. An Indian professional comparing offers in Phoenix, San Francisco, Dallas or New York should avoid using a national wage-growth number as a substitute for the actual compensation and cost structure of a city.
A relocation comparison should consider offered salary, housing, taxes, transportation, health insurance, childcare where relevant and if the worker is sponsored whether changing employers has immigration consequences.
The QCEW data provide useful local labor-market context, but they do not measure household living costs.
What should employers watch?
Businesses recruiting nationally can use the county data to identify where wage pressure and workforce availability differ.
However, QCEW data have a publication lag: this August release describes March employment and first-quarter wages. It should be paired with newer monthly labor-market indicators when making immediate hiring decisions.
The next County Employment and Wages release, covering second quarter 2026, is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
BLS – County Employment and Wages, Q1 2026
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