Marion County worker wages increase
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Marion County workers saw their average weekly pay rise by nearly 9% between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which released data for some of the country's largest counties.
Why it matters: That was the highest wage growth of any county in the Midwest, and the fifth highest in the U.S.
- As seemingly everything gets more expensive and more Hoosiers struggle to cover their everyday costs, every penny counts.
By the numbers: Marion County's paycheck increase brought Indy's average weekly wages to $1,779, or around $137 more a week than last year's average pay, per BLS' preliminary numbers.
- In Hamilton County, average weekly wages rose 2.6%, or around $38, to $1,476.
- Hendricks County wages rose 2.2%, or around $35, to $1,083.
Caveat: The data tracks where people earn their money, not where they live.
Zoom out: The four counties ahead of Marion are Benton County, Arkansas (14.6%); San Mateo County, California (+11.4%); Monmouth County, New Jersey (+10.9%) and New York County, New York (+10.6%; that's Manhattan).
- New York and San Mateo counties were also home to the country's highest average weekly wages overall in Q1 2025, at about $4,500 and $4,400, respectively.
- Nationally, average weekly wages rose 4.1% to $1,589.
Yes, but: Inflation rose about 2.7% during the period, taking a bite out of everyone's gains.
Between the lines: Dozens of states and cities raised their minimum wage back in January, but Indiana wasn't part of that push.
- The Indiana minimum wage of $7.25 per hour matches the federal minimum wage and hasn't changed in 16 years.
- Legislation to increase our state's minimum wage stalled in both 2025 and 2023.
State of play: The living wage in the Indianapolis metro for an adult with no children is $21.54 per hour — or about $44,800 a year if working 40 hours a week — according to MIT's living wage calculator.
- The poverty wage for that same individual is $7.52 per hour.
- For two working adults with two children, the living wage is $28.17 per hour or about $58,600.
Reality check: Looking at wage growth for all residents only tells part of the story.
- Broadly speaking, men's wages rose last year while women's pay stagnated, Axios' Emily Peck reported — "a worrying sign that the slow march toward pay equity for women is stumbling."
Go deeper: Indiana will pay your boss to pay you more