Facts and Figures About Salaries in Rural and Metropolitan Areas


Last Updated: May 30, 2013
 

This article appeared in the May 2013 Rural Policy Matters.

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Question: What is the average pay of a job in a rural area compared to a job in a metropolitan area?

Answer: In 2009, the average rural job paid just $36,920, only 69% of the average metropolitan job, which paid $53,373. This trend widens a gap that has been growing for more than 30 years.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rural-poverty-well-being/income-nonfarm-earnings.aspx#.UYgXUuCfNJM

 

Read more from the May 2013 Rural Policy Matters.