Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Baltimore, MD Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Baltimore, MD, Maryland is $117,336 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 65 occupations and roughly 301,690 workers. Adjusted for Baltimore, MD's cost-of-living index of 114.2, that nominal average translates to $102,746 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $307,400; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $57,630.
Baltimore, MD, MD has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 114.2). The 65 occupations reported here average $117,336 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Baltimore, MD on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $307,400 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Baltimore, MD to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Baltimore, MD
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $307,400 | $136,250 – $420,950 | 760 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $304,220 | $231,840 – $469,430 | 90 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $172,110 | $62,090 – $254,820 | 880 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $168,520 | $105,750 – $231,430 | 7,010 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $162,930 | $103,830 – $211,500 | 700 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $160,340 | $99,110 – $218,400 | 2,480 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $160,160 | $132,480 – $245,650 | 420 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $157,990 | $86,240 – $293,390 | 9,990 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $156,750 | $101,400 – $197,050 | 1,070 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $146,370 | $87,150 – $232,080 | 1,980 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $144,270 | $49,260 – $173,240 | 330 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $140,180 | $80,430 – $241,500 | 3,430 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $138,900 | $87,290 – $223,550 | 16,850 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $138,790 | $110,190 – $172,540 | 1,660 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $138,170 | $78,110 – $218,620 | 4,600 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $138,110 | $114,080 – $168,010 | 2,730 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $135,910 | $65,770 – $248,590 | 0 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $135,600 | $60,000 – $179,050 | 9,010 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $134,320 | $76,820 – $227,250 | 1,090 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $132,400 | $85,620 – $264,130 | 7,520 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $131,990 | $102,060 – $168,770 | 3,800 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $129,880 | $80,350 – $169,930 | 2,670 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $124,990 | $69,720 – $224,520 | 8,060 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $123,730 | $75,570 – $170,850 | 1,190 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $122,950 | $74,430 – $192,160 | 4,620 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $119,990 | $80,650 – $168,100 | 2,110 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $117,750 | $72,240 – $163,890 | 8,500 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $117,040 | $58,350 – $232,180 | 44,960 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $116,700 | $76,900 – $174,920 | 3,050 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $116,650 | $66,630 – $203,210 | 2,770 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $116,130 | $102,750 – $125,040 | 1,900 |
| Architect | Engineering | $115,960 | $68,770 – $181,280 | 1,140 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $113,880 | $58,460 – $189,520 | 2,340 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $108,980 | $69,310 – $176,570 | 6,850 |
| Statistician | Technology | $108,820 | $72,090 – $161,470 | 420 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $107,590 | $63,200 – $159,640 | 790 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $107,120 | $62,460 – $198,010 | 1,590 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $106,420 | $70,330 – $178,840 | 780 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $105,810 | $78,530 – $138,630 | 2,050 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $105,490 | $74,050 – $128,960 | 1,200 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $103,460 | $64,780 – $159,950 | 260 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $102,980 | $55,910 – $171,440 | 4,910 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $101,160 | $64,610 – $125,160 | 1,830 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $100,500 | $75,990 – $144,680 | 2,540 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $99,550 | $77,600 – $125,020 | 30,930 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $98,970 | $48,110 – $412,790 | 3,240 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $98,880 | $63,770 – $192,950 | 3,040 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $96,760 | $60,810 – $158,760 | 500 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $94,440 | $55,790 – $184,100 | 2,350 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $87,020 | $56,680 – $163,630 | 240 |
| Accountant | Finance | $85,160 | $59,170 – $146,650 | 13,550 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $81,130 | $63,120 – $105,710 | 0 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $78,350 | $61,660 – $99,840 | 9,300 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $77,570 | $47,750 – $133,870 | 1,880 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,400 | $49,420 – $102,080 | 13,150 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $75,790 | $45,990 – $107,120 | 1,350 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $74,620 | $45,450 – $137,970 | 5,920 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $68,470 | $33,610 – $139,700 | 1,810 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $65,640 | $49,930 – $97,510 | 3,880 |
| Electrician | Trades | $65,590 | $45,390 – $113,090 | 6,930 |
| Plumber | Trades | $63,200 | $45,220 – $102,640 | 5,220 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $62,380 | $42,840 – $85,470 | 3,870 |
| Welder | Trades | $61,920 | $43,300 – $95,280 | 1,290 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $57,930 | $33,350 – $95,340 | 3,970 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $57,630 | $35,290 – $80,800 | 6,340 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Baltimore, MD is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $307,400 and a 90th-percentile reading of $420,950. That $284,700 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 65 BLS-tracked occupations in Baltimore, MD, the average median salary is $117,336. The top five roles average $223,036 — about 1.9× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Baltimore, MD sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 114.2). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Baltimore, MD
For salary negotiation in Baltimore, MD, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 114.2 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Baltimore, MD Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Baltimore, MD, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (114.2) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Baltimore, MD in 2026?
The average salary in Baltimore, MD is $117,336 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 65 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $117,336. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $307,400.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Baltimore, MD?
In Baltimore, MD, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $87,566 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 114.2). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $117,336, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Baltimore, MD?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Baltimore, MD are Family Medicine Physician ($307,400), Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($304,220), Dentist ($172,110), and Computer and Information Systems Manager ($168,520). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $146,370 to $307,400. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/baltimore.
How does Baltimore, MD's cost of living affect salaries?
Baltimore, MD has a cost-of-living index of 114.2, 14% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $117,336 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $102,746 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Baltimore, MD?
Across the 65 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Baltimore, MD metro is approximately 301,690. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Baltimore, MD salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Baltimore, MD MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 65 occupations · COL Index 114.2.