Jobs, pay and daily life in Melbourne, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Melbourne is a city in Florida with 86,576 residents. The median household earns $66,991 a year and the median rent is $1,525 a month, which is 27.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 245,170 jobs.
How Melbourne compares. Among the 120 largest places in Florida, Melbourne is #35 by population, #17 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #19 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #82 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Brevard County, is #6 of 67 counties for average pay ($68,051).
Melbourne has 86,576 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Florida. It covers 44 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,959 people per square mile. The median age is 42.5, about the same as the state median (42.5 against 42.6).
The median gross rent is $1,525 a month (rent plus utilities), 9% below the state median ($1,525 against $1,669). Over a year that is 27.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $306,400, which is 4.6 times the median household income ($66,991). 59.7% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (59.7% against 67.6%).
The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area has 245,170 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,030 a year, 4% below the national median ($49,030 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (26,970 jobs, median $44,230); food preparation and serving related (26,090 jobs, median $33,210); sales and related (22,620 jobs, median $36,230). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (3.3 times) and computer and mathematical (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($121,740) and computer and mathematical ($103,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Brevard County was 4.6%. 58.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Brevard County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.0% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 3.0% walk, 14.1% work from home. 10.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (10.9% against 18.1%).
34.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (34.7% against 34.1%). 10.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 52% below the state share (10.4% against 21.9%). The poverty rate is 15.8%, 25% above the state rate (15.8% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 82°F (27.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 63°F (17.3°C). About 1,377 mm (54 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (214 mm) and Nov the driest (54 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Palm Bay (11 miles, rent 5% higher); Titusville (33 miles, rent 13% lower); St. Cloud (39 miles, rent 10% higher); Orlando (42 miles, rent 15% higher). Rent differences are against Melbourne; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Florida (1,224) →State guide: FloridaCountry guideBrevard CountyFlorida rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,224 federal postings open in Florida (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Florida →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 7,670 | 1.25 | $33,430 | $28,090 | $45,460 | -6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 7,630 | 1.26 | $28,660 | $27,750 | $35,480 | -8% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,440 | 1.02 | $80,900 | $66,590 | $103,830 | -17% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,090 | 0.92 | $101,830 | $48,120 | $242,010 | -4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 5,080 | 1.42 | $36,670 | $27,610 | $62,170 | +4% |
| Cashiers | 5,070 | 1.04 | $30,390 | $27,820 | $36,600 | -8% |
| Software Developers | 5,030 | 1.89 | $131,760 | $81,760 | $200,340 | -3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 4,700 | 1.15 | $37,760 | $30,770 | $59,510 | -16% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,280 | 1.10 | $43,400 | $31,710 | $62,590 | -4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,910 | 0.88 | $35,300 | $29,900 | $47,060 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,100 | 0.89 | $32,810 | $28,970 | $42,680 | -11% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,890 | 1.30 | $36,750 | $29,750 | $45,500 | -2% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,760 | 1.21 | $37,070 | $34,110 | $44,190 | -12% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,600 | 1.08 | $45,400 | $35,030 | $72,430 | -8% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,560 | 0.55 | $37,680 | $29,810 | $47,660 | -6% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 2,510 | 1.66 | $40,390 | $31,470 | $54,080 | -12% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,430 | 1.26 | $45,840 | $30,180 | $62,630 | +4% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,390 | 0.35 | $34,440 | $30,390 | $37,950 | -4% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 2,340 | 1.37 | $92,250 | $46,270 | $164,740 | +11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,330 | 0.86 | $45,900 | $33,760 | $62,280 | -3% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,100 | 3.17 | $175,490 | $129,630 | $256,510 | +2% |
| Chief Executives | 590 | 1.84 | $175,070 | $58,750 | $442,080 | -18% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 930 | 0.88 | $172,020 | $104,710 | $245,990 | -2% |
| Financial Managers | 950 | 0.71 | $160,910 | $85,770 | $300,030 | -3% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 500 | 4.12 | $150,530 | $101,600 | $213,140 | -7% |
| Managers, All Other | 980 | 1.00 | $140,980 | $60,730 | $221,810 | -1% |
| Sales Managers | 960 | 0.95 | $132,950 | $72,500 | $258,320 | -10% |
| Software Developers | 5,030 | 1.89 | $131,760 | $81,760 | $200,340 | -3% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 1,360 | 12.71 | $131,570 | $90,400 | $182,000 | -3% |
| Lawyers | 680 | 0.57 | $129,640 | $70,240 | $301,900 | -19% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 970 | 6.35 | $128,220 | $87,840 | $164,780 | -2% |
| Engineers, All Other | 1,620 | 6.65 | $127,400 | $65,200 | $182,000 | +4% |
| Information Security Analysts | 640 | 2.13 | $122,120 | $81,260 | $170,880 | -5% |
| Electrical Engineers | 960 | 3.05 | $122,020 | $77,810 | $165,020 | +1% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 500 | 0.98 | $120,870 | $78,500 | $140,310 | -9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 510 | 0.74 | $115,920 | $59,680 | $163,070 | -1% |
| Computer Network Architects | 640 | 2.27 | $110,590 | $81,430 | $168,660 | -18% |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,190 | 1.30 | $103,870 | $58,850 | $165,660 | +2% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,050 | 1.12 | $103,230 | $76,220 | $203,420 | -17% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 1,440 | 3.07 | $102,630 | $74,850 | $160,210 | -1% |
These figures are for the whole Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,030 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 15.3% |
| Manufacturing | 12.5% |
| Retail trade | 11.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.6% |
| Construction | 7.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.2% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Melbourne lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard County | 632,780 | $43,482 million | $68,716 | 242,124 | 18,850 | $68,051 | +1.4% | 4.6% | 305,959 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 34,805 | 16.4% | $113,107 | 1.75 |
| Health care and social assistance | 33,411 | 15.7% | $61,732 | 0.96 |
| Retail trade | 28,418 | 13.4% | $37,823 | 1.18 |
| Accommodation and food services | 25,892 | 12.2% | $27,271 | 1.18 |
| Professional and technical services | 19,710 | 9.3% | $101,163 | 1.17 |
| Construction | 16,830 | 7.9% | $69,216 | 1.32 |
| Administrative and waste services | 13,489 | 6.3% | $55,616 | 0.95 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6,770 | 3.2% | $45,721 | 0.93 |
| Educational services | 5,338 | 2.5% | $45,920 | 1.07 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5,108 | 2.4% | $61,755 | 0.50 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,901 | 2.3% | $95,893 | 0.50 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,793 | 2.3% | $113,713 | 0.50 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 4,015 | 1.9% | $33,828 | 0.99 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,066 | 1.4% | $51,857 | 0.82 |
| Management of companies | 2,872 | 1.4% | $93,779 | 0.70 |
| Information | 2,632 | 1.2% | $107,328 | 0.58 |
| Utilities | 333 | 0.2% | $123,418 | 0.36 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 279 | 0.1% | $45,727 | 0.14 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 60 | 0.0% | $82,720 | 0.07 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.0% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 3.0% |
| Work from home | 14.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,991 |
| Income per person | $38,249 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,525 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.3% |
| Median home value | $306,400 |
| Homeowners | 59.7% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 100.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,030 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 34.7% |
| Born abroad | 10.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17.3 | 63 | 60 |
| Feb | 18.8 | 66 | 56 |
| Mar | 20.5 | 69 | 65 |
| Apr | 23.0 | 73 | 62 |
| May | 25.3 | 78 | 112 |
| Jun | 26.9 | 80 | 214 |
| Jul | 27.4 | 81 | 184 |
| Aug | 27.7 | 82 | 204 |
| Sep | 26.9 | 80 | 182 |
| Oct | 24.7 | 76 | 116 |
| Nov | 21.5 | 71 | 54 |
| Dec | 19.3 | 67 | 68 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay | FL | 11 mi | 130,132 | $72,614 | $1,601 |
| Titusville | FL | 33 mi | 49,385 | $66,192 | $1,334 |
| St. Cloud | FL | 39 mi | 65,130 | $83,174 | $1,683 |
| Orlando | FL | 42 mi | 319,758 | $72,336 | $1,747 |
| Alafaya | FL | 43 mi | 92,449 | $100,950 | $1,999 |
| Meadow Woods | FL | 45 mi | 42,852 | $82,744 | $1,906 |
| University | FL | 47 mi | 41,902 | $59,852 | $1,445 |
| Kissimmee | FL | 48 mi | 81,479 | $53,758 | $1,647 |
| Oviedo | FL | 50 mi | 40,599 | $117,070 | $1,955 |
| Poinciana | FL | 50 mi | 75,068 | $68,015 | $1,965 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
86,576 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,525 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.3% of the median household income.
$66,991 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.6% (BLS county, Brevard County (latest month 2026M09)).
Florida. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.