Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Salt Lake City, UT Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Salt Lake City, UT, Utah is $104,167 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 59 occupations and roughly 177,440 workers. Adjusted for Salt Lake City, UT's cost-of-living index of 101.4, that nominal average translates to $102,729 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $296,510; the lowest is Automotive Technician at $47,280.
Salt Lake City, UT, UT sits near the national cost-of-living baseline (index 101.4). 59 occupations are reported here with median wages averaging $104,167.
Highest-paying role in Salt Lake City, UT on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $296,510 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. Cities at the national cost-of-living baseline are useful reference points for cross-region comparisons — the gross wage and adjusted wage are roughly equivalent, so headline comparisons work.
Salaries by Occupation in Salt Lake City, UT
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $296,510 | $172,840 – $352,360 | 100 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $172,850 | $115,870 – $316,490 | 110 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $160,810 | $107,580 – $233,990 | 5,620 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $158,720 | $93,930 – $314,210 | 5,450 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $147,010 | $66,360 – $173,130 | 1,520 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $143,930 | $73,930 – $261,050 | 5,210 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $139,830 | $79,890 – $232,020 | 3,420 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $137,250 | $50,040 – $172,200 | 150 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $136,990 | $54,720 – $362,450 | 4,830 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $133,620 | $82,990 – $224,480 | 1,290 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $130,510 | $84,020 – $210,360 | 510 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $130,240 | $82,770 – $171,310 | 810 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $130,160 | $75,890 – $223,630 | 2,720 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $129,600 | $79,610 – $177,090 | 19,040 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $129,350 | $105,220 – $179,130 | 1,430 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $123,520 | $79,880 – $216,310 | 290 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $115,870 | $68,250 – $295,340 | 200 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $114,990 | $62,050 – $159,820 | 2,970 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $111,290 | $70,390 – $136,670 | 370 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $109,140 | $83,430 – $136,690 | 60 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $107,320 | $62,690 – $159,620 | 580 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $105,920 | $75,740 – $139,570 | 2,910 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $105,230 | $77,270 – $171,580 | 810 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $103,840 | $62,090 – $135,960 | 1,040 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $103,740 | $66,240 – $134,780 | 490 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $103,710 | $44,090 – $221,230 | 20,870 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $102,830 | $55,000 – $170,320 | 1,190 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $101,500 | $69,820 – $160,140 | 1,600 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $99,980 | $78,490 – $128,860 | 510 |
| Architect | Engineering | $99,790 | $56,300 – $161,050 | 1,040 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $99,110 | $67,020 – $145,660 | 1,130 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $98,800 | $62,280 – $150,100 | 2,890 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $98,400 | $63,610 – $131,390 | 2,010 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $97,470 | $50,440 – $170,040 | 3,320 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $96,900 | $60,740 – $153,940 | 610 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $95,640 | $60,780 – $159,080 | 780 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $94,330 | $79,440 – $99,750 | 1,390 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $91,100 | $57,510 – $160,220 | 3,250 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $88,770 | $52,180 – $139,200 | 0 |
| Statistician | Technology | $87,930 | $62,080 – $132,440 | 270 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $85,890 | $71,700 – $115,460 | 14,070 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $85,840 | $58,500 – $129,290 | 580 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $82,940 | $46,030 – $133,740 | 1,610 |
| Accountant | Finance | $82,100 | $51,470 – $131,730 | 8,660 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $77,990 | $50,450 – $217,930 | 1,900 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $77,920 | $49,140 – $102,510 | 4,840 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $77,490 | $61,460 – $99,060 | 4,430 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $76,390 | $36,260 – $112,050 | 210 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $65,450 | $45,120 – $98,800 | 1,380 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $65,440 | $43,040 – $119,270 | 1,000 |
| Plumber | Trades | $64,800 | $47,870 – $88,310 | 3,190 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $64,670 | $41,000 – $119,550 | 8,250 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $64,670 | $48,130 – $102,020 | 2,140 |
| Electrician | Trades | $62,620 | $43,280 – $88,640 | 5,710 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $61,150 | $39,910 – $128,750 | 0 |
| Welder | Trades | $60,190 | $46,050 – $79,160 | 1,490 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $59,870 | $36,510 – $75,540 | 6,420 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $48,630 | $39,220 – $84,680 | 4,860 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $47,280 | $31,200 – $78,490 | 3,910 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Salt Lake City, UT is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $296,510 and a 90th-percentile reading of $352,360. That $179,520 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 59 BLS-tracked occupations in Salt Lake City, UT, the average median salary is $104,167. The top five roles average $187,180 — about 1.8× 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.
Salt Lake City, UT sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 101.4). 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 Salt Lake City, UT
For salary negotiation in Salt Lake City, UT, 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 101.4 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 Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (101.4) 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 Salt Lake City, UT in 2026?
The average salary in Salt Lake City, UT is $104,167 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 59 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $104,167. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $296,510.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Salt Lake City, UT?
In Salt Lake City, UT, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $98,619 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 101.4). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $104,167, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Salt Lake City, UT?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Salt Lake City, UT are Family Medicine Physician ($296,510), Pediatrician ($172,850), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($160,810), and Financial Manager ($158,720). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $133,620 to $296,510. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/salt-lake-city.
How does Salt Lake City, UT's cost of living affect salaries?
Salt Lake City, UT has a cost-of-living index of 101.4, 1% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $104,167 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $102,729 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 Salt Lake City, UT?
Across the 59 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Salt Lake City, UT metro is approximately 177,440. 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 Salt Lake City, UT 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, Salt Lake City, UT MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 59 occupations · COL Index 101.4.