BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

06/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2026 13:06

County Employment and Wages in Maryland — Fourth Quarter 2025

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Friday, June 12, 2026

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County Employment and Wages in Maryland - Fourth Quarter 2025

Employment declined in 7 of the 8 largest counties in Maryland from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that Montgomery County (-2.6 percent) had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Maryland, December 2025
County Percent change, December 2025

Montgomery

-2.6

Harford

-2.2

Prince George's

-2.1

Frederick

-1.7

Baltimore

-1.4

Howard

-1.1

Anne Arundel

-0.5

Baltimore City

1.0

Montgomery County (452,500) had the highest employment level in Maryland in December 2025. Together, the eight largest counties accounted for 78.7 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2025

Average weekly wage gains in 5 of 6 large counties in Maryland with published data were below the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) Anne Arundel had the largest gain (+4.2 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other five large Maryland counties ranged from 3.5 percent to 1.6 percent.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Maryland, fourth quarter 2025
County Percent change, fourth quarter 2025

Anne Arundel

4.2

Prince George's

3.5

Howard

3.2

Baltimore City

3.2

Baltimore

3.0

Montgomery

1.6

Weekly wages in 4 of the 8 largest counties in Maryland were above the national average of $1,569. Average weekly wages among the large counties ranged from $1,874 in Montgomery to $1,337 in Harford.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 16 small counties in Maryland, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 15 of the 16 smaller counties were below the national average. St. Mary's reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,708). Worcester reported the lowest average weekly wage ($996) in the state.

Among all 24 Maryland counties, 6 reported average weekly wages less than $1,150, 9 had wages from $1,150 to $1,324, 4 had wages from $1,325 to $1,499, and 5 had average weekly wages of $1,500 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Maryland, fourth quarter 2025

(U.S. Average = $1,569)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 28, 2026

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the eight largest counties in Maryland, fourth quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 -- 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Maryland

199.5 2,754.6 -1.1 -- 1,616 10 3.0 47

Anne Arundel

16.8 295.5 -0.5 236 1,622 72 4.2 166

Baltimore

23.7 369.8 -1.4 341 1,467 137 3.0 289

Frederick

7.6 107.1 -1.7 352 1,394 175 (5) -

Harford

6.4 98.2 -2.2 358 1,337 216 (5) -

Howard

11.7 171.8 -1.1 314 1,821 28 3.2 269

Montgomery

36.8 452.5 -2.6 363 1,874 25 1.6 335

Prince George's

18.8 327.8 -2.1 355 1,494 118 3.5 246

Baltimore City

15.2 346.4 1.0 61 1,796 31 3.2 269

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Maryland, fourth quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment December 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,428,415 156,700,218 1,569

Maryland

199,500 2,754,574 1,616

Allegany

1,548 26,721 1,076

Anne Arundel

16,771 295,516 1,622

Baltimore

23,728 369,840 1,467

Calvert

2,059 22,493 1,265

Caroline

733 8,870 1,143

Carroll

4,745 59,877 1,227

Cecil

2,062 36,926 1,289

Charles

3,277 43,861 1,208

Dorchester

806 11,707 1,133

Frederick

7,582 107,090 1,394

Garrett

1,210 12,110 1,020

Harford

6,425 98,189 1,337

Howard

11,651 171,817 1,821

Kent

774 7,510 1,133

Montgomery

36,819 452,461 1,874

Prince George's

18,758 327,799 1,494

Queen Anne's

1,676 16,061 1,151

St. Mary's

2,264 47,593 1,708

Somerset

457 7,121 1,209

Talbot

1,623 18,701 1,228

Washington

3,725 68,514 1,213

Wicomico

2,679 48,064 1,171

Worcester

2,483 23,390 996

Baltimore City

15,246 346,360 1,796

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2025
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Alabama

167.4 2,135.3 0.5 1,301 36 3.7 37

Alaska

25.3 317.3 -0.3 1,497 16 4.7 14

Arizona

227.4 3,278.3 0.0 1,446 20 3.0 47

Arkansas

113.0 1,318.2 0.4 1,213 49 5.0 8

California

2,013.7 18,351.7 0.6 1,954 4 4.6 16

Colorado

258.5 2,896.4 -0.6 1,683 8 5.6 3

Connecticut

149.8 1,706.5 0.1 1,801 6 5.0 8

Delaware

47.3 481.0 0.1 1,502 15 4.7 14

District of Columbia

51.0 726.1 -4.5 2,587 1 4.1 24

Florida

886.2 10,013.2 0.3 1,471 17 4.8 12

Georgia

398.7 4,925.4 0.1 1,440 21 3.5 40

Hawaii

63.0 650.0 -0.2 1,411 25 5.0 8

Idaho

104.3 875.7 1.8 1,303 35 5.8 2

Illinois

387.7 6,089.5 -0.1 1,588 11 3.3 42

Indiana

195.6 3,211.2 0.1 1,276 40 4.5 17

Iowa

110.6 1,560.0 -0.2 1,282 39 3.7 37

Kansas

101.8 1,443.2 -0.1 1,268 44 4.1 24

Kentucky

161.3 2,008.7 -0.1 1,235 46 3.8 34

Louisiana

159.2 1,927.3 -0.5 1,267 45 3.2 44

Maine

67.6 644.7 -0.1 1,332 33 4.2 21

Maryland

199.5 2,754.6 -1.1 1,616 10 3.0 47

Massachusetts

298.5 3,625.5 -0.9 1,980 2 4.9 11

Michigan

316.9 4,412.7 0.0 1,427 23 4.2 21

Minnesota

215.2 2,948.0 0.0 1,505 14 3.7 37

Mississippi

92.2 1,180.9 0.3 1,075 51 5.1 7

Missouri

259.9 2,920.8 -0.1 1,324 34 4.4 18

Montana

62.3 512.3 -0.1 1,296 38 3.3 42

Nebraska

78.5 1,024.0 -0.2 1,275 42 4.0 31

Nevada

111.0 1,592.1 1.7 1,395 27 3.2 44

New Hampshire

67.9 688.8 -0.6 1,652 9 4.8 12

New Jersey

343.1 4,343.1 0.2 1,691 7 3.9 33

New Mexico

69.7 875.3 -0.3 1,275 42 4.1 24

New York

719.1 9,907.5 0.4 1,975 3 5.4 4

North Carolina

392.1 4,991.1 0.9 1,409 26 3.8 34

North Dakota

37.0 430.4 -0.2 1,350 31 2.7 49

Ohio

348.5 5,554.4 0.0 1,358 30 4.1 24

Oklahoma

129.3 1,717.1 0.1 1,217 48 4.1 24

Oregon

177.9 1,975.8 -1.0 1,468 19 3.2 44

Pennsylvania

398.1 6,094.8 0.2 1,470 18 4.0 31

Rhode Island

49.1 500.3 -0.1 1,429 22 6.0 1

South Carolina

192.4 2,344.7 1.5 1,276 40 4.3 20

South Dakota

41.2 458.9 -0.2 1,230 47 4.1 24

Tennessee

225.2 3,281.6 -0.3 1,424 24 3.8 34

Texas

860.8 14,255.2 0.8 1,549 13 4.2 21

Utah

144.6 1,761.6 1.4 1,389 28 4.1 24

Vermont

34.5 309.3 -0.9 1,378 29 5.3 5

Virginia

324.0 4,166.9 0.5 1,585 12 2.6 50

Washington

242.1 3,590.3 -0.3 1,948 5 2.4 51

West Virginia

62.8 698.3 -0.6 1,203 50 3.5 40

Wisconsin

213.9 2,946.2 -0.1 1,346 32 5.3 5

Wyoming

31.7 278.4 -0.8 1,297 37 4.4 18

Puerto Rico

53.5 974.7 -0.2 735 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 34.7 0.3 1,068 (3) 2.7 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on June 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 12, 2026 at 19:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]