Average U.S. weekly wages increased 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, reaching a total of $1,109 per week, according to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Average weekly wages increased over the year in all of the 10 largest U.S. counties, the bureau added.
However, wages grew more rapidly than the national average in certain parts of the country, according to the report.
The cause for wage increases varied depending on location, according to BLS. For example, the financial industry had the biggest impact on wages in New York, according to BLS data, with average weekly wages increasing by $1,032, or 22.4 percent, over the year in New York's financial sector.
The county of Harris, Texas, had the smallest percentage gain in average weekly wages among the 10 largest counties (2.4 percent). Within Harris, trade, transportation and utilities had the largest impact on the county’s average weekly wage growth with an increase of $49 (4.3 percent) over the year.
These counties, in ascending order, had the biggest increases in weekly wages:
9. Weld, Colo.
6.9 percent
In January, the minimum wage in Weld was raised to $10.20 per hour from $9.30, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The increase is a part of the state’s plan to increase the minimum wage to $12.00 by 2020.
8. King, Wash.
7 percent
King County has a history of good economic health, with the percentage of residents living below the poverty line in the county below state and national levels. Only 9.3 percent of residents (as compared to 11.3 percent in Washington) are living below poverty the poverty line.
7. Elkhart, Ind.
7.1 percent
Elkhart is referred to as “The RV Capital of the World” because recreational vehicle factory jobs are so plentiful. High school students have forgone college for the pay and benefits in the area, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
6. San Francisco
7.4 percent
San Francisco ranked fourth among counties with the highest increase in weekly wages by the dollar. Weekly wages increased by $154, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
5. Washington, Ore.
8.1 percent
Software and computer systems design is one of the highest paying industries in Oregon — software developers ($99,670), computer programmers ($77,780), network architects ($121,250) and information research scientists ($154,220) round out some of the highest earning roles.
4. Santa Clara, Calif.
8.9 percent
Nearly 12,000 new jobs were created in the Bay Area in 2017 and 3,400 of them were in Santa Clara County alone, according to recent data from the California Employment Development Department.
3. Douglas, Colo.
9 percent
The median household income in Douglas is $109,292 (as compared to the $59,039 national average). In Douglas, much of the workforce is in management (17.9 percent), sales (14.4 percent), and administrative roles (9.7 percent), according to the report.
2. New York
10.4 percent
Financial activities have the largest impact on wages than any other industry in New York, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
1. (tie) Ada, Idaho
11.5 percent
In Ada, the median household income surpassed both national ($57,617) and state ($51,807) levels. The average household has an income of $61,301, according to data from DATA USA. Healthcare and social assistance is the largest industry in the county and accounts for 16.7 percent of the workforce.
1. (tie) San Mateo, Calif.
11.5 percent
The average salary in San Mateo is $79,014, according to the Salary Survey from Payscale. Paychecks continue to swell—wages increased 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018, according to the report.
