Question 1

What is the cost of living in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Accepted Answer

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 93.56, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 6.4% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,252/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA, the average median wage is $103,678. The single highest-paying occupation here is Family Medicine Physicians at $297,430/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA are: 1) Family Medicine Physicians at $297,430; 2) Physicians, All Other at $232,880; 3) Chief Executives at $216,530; 4) Nurse Anesthetists at $199,800; 5) Dentists, General at $195,480. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA is $1,252/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Scranton--Wilkes-Barre data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
81	Postsecondary Teachers, All Other	Education	$81K	N/A
82	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	Engineering	$81K	$38.88/hr
83	Structural Iron and Steel Workers	Construction & Trades	$81K	$38.72/hr
84	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	Education	$80K	N/A
85	Credit Analysts	Business & Finance	$80K	$38.59/hr
86	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	Education	$80K	N/A
87	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	Science	$80K	$38.42/hr
88	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$80K	N/A
89	Database Administrators	Technology	$80K	$38.33/hr
90	Insulation Workers, Mechanical	Construction & Trades	$79K	$38.21/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA

Highest paying careers in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre

Affordability snapshot: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre