Indianapolis, Indiana – The average wage for Indiana workers is $11,000 less than the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The director of Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Community Research Institute, Rachel Blakeman, investigated state-wide income statistics. The average income in the United States is $70,343, whereas it is $58,604 in Indiana.
“We tend to have a large share of workers who have ended at their high school diploma and more education is what commands a premium in the workplace, and that simply has not been the priority of this state for a while now,” Blakeman said.
The income a person earns at their place of employment is the only one included in this data set. In their home county, commuter wages are not taken into account.
According to Blakeman, Marion County is the only county in the US to have a median income higher than $70.834.
“Marion County’s above-average wages are only about $500 or so. It wouldn’t surprise me if, in the next year or two, Marion County will be below average as well.”
Blakeman emphasizes the significance of having options for well-paying employment throughout the state, not only in its major cities.
“We were reminded of that three years ago during the pandemic shutdown of recognizing the value that some of our lowest paid workers in the economy provide to us, and keep the American economy and our local economies humming along,” Blakeman said. “What we want to make sure though is there are opportunities for people to move up.”
The problem of low salaries in Indiana, according to Blakeman, is exacerbated by the state’s rising cost of living.
“We’re looking at average wages of 65, 75, 80 cents on the dollar, and our cost of living is normally somewhere between 90 and 95 cents on the dollar,” Blakeman said.
Education, according to Blakeman, is important, but it’s not necessarily necessary to complete a typical four-year college degree; other educational options include technical school and certificate programs.
