What is the average wage in ?

Updated May. 6, 2026Refreshed monthly
The average wage was $1.1K per week in March 2026, 1.7% higher than a year before. The average weekly wage, the typical earnings that employees bring home for one week of work, is a valuable indicator to assess economic conditions, labor market health, and wage trends. When accounting for the cost of living, West Virginia’s average weekly wage of $1,100 has the purchasing power of $1,229.

$1.1K

average weekly earnings, March 2026

1.7%

higher than a year before (adjusted for inflation)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases monthly statistics tracking the wages of all employees who don’t work for the government. In March 2026, the average weekly wage in West Virginia was $1,100. That represents the wages of 564,400 private-sector workers in the state.

As of March 2026, average weekly earnings for workers in West Virginia was lower than the US overall.

12-month rolling average of average weekly earnings, 2007-2026, adjusted for inflation

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As with other averages, most people earn more or less than the average weekly wage. Pay varies based on industry and occupation.

Which occupations have the highest wages?

In West Virginia, workers in the mining and logging sector had the highest average weekly earnings at $1,937 per week, as of March 2026. Leisure and hospitality workers had the lowest average weekly wage at $438.

In West Virginia, mining and logging workers had the highest average weekly wage.

Average weekly earnings, by industry (March 2026)

How do wages in West Virginia compare to the national average?

Cost of living, which also varies based on location, impacts how far a person’s earnings can go. Someone earning the weekly average will have more or less purchasing power depending on location. In West Virginia, cost of living is lower than the US overall, and the state’s average weekly wage of $1,100 has purchasing power equal to $1,229.
West Virginia’s average weekly wage is below the national average, ranking 43rd among states. When accounting for regional cost of living differences, West Virginia ranks 24th among states.

Accounting for cost of living, West Virginia had an average weekly wage of $1,229 in March 2026.

Average weekly wage, March 2026, adjusted with regional price parity (2024)

Which metro areas in West Virginia have the highest wages?

Among 8 metro areas at least partially located in West Virginia, the Charleston, WV area has the highest average weekly wage at $1,355, when accounting for the cost of living.

Among West Virginia metro areas, the Charleston, WV area had the highest wages, accounting for cost of living.

Average weekly wage, March 2026, adjusted with regional price parity (2024)

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.