Jobs, pay and daily life in Omaha, 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.
Omaha is a city in Nebraska with 488,837 residents. The median household earns $73,201 a year and the median rent is $1,187 a month, which is 19.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 498,100 jobs.
How Omaha compares. Among the 40 largest places in Nebraska, Omaha is #1 by population, #3 for remote work (#1 = most), #6 for college degrees (#1 = most), #34 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Douglas County, is #2 of 93 counties for average pay ($67,868).
Omaha has 488,837 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 24.7% of the population of Nebraska. It covers 143 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,420 people per square mile. The median age is 35.3, 5% younger than the state median (35.3 against 37.2).
The median gross rent is $1,187 a month (rent plus utilities), 11% above the state median ($1,187 against $1,072). Over a year that is 19.5% 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 $245,500, which is 3.4 times the median household income ($73,201); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 57.4% of households own their home, 14% below the state average (57.4% against 66.5%).
The Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area has 498,100 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,660 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,660 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (55,630 jobs, median $47,100); food preparation and serving related (48,260 jobs, median $34,270); sales and related (43,380 jobs, median $37,540). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.4 times) and construction and extraction (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($108,120) and computer and mathematical ($96,400). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Douglas County was 2.6%. 69.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Douglas County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.8% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 15.1% work from home. 5.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 26% below the state average (5.2% against 7.0%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
40.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16% above the state share (40.1% against 34.6%). 11.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 41% above the state share (11.3% against 8.0%). The poverty rate is 13.5%, 27% above the state rate (13.5% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-5.1°C). About 786 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (121 mm) and Jan the driest (19 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: Ralston (4 miles, similar rent); La Vista (6 miles, rent 11% higher); Chalco (7 miles, similar rent); Papillion (8 miles, rent 7% higher). Rent differences are against Omaha; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Nebraska (294) →State guide: NebraskaCountry guideDouglas CountyNebraska 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 294 federal postings open in Nebraska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Nebraska →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 15,580 | 1.26 | $29,450 | $28,110 | $35,940 | -6% |
| Registered Nurses | 13,200 | 1.22 | $84,600 | $69,070 | $112,940 | -13% |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,080 | 0.97 | $33,260 | $28,280 | $46,490 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,430 | 1.02 | $90,620 | $48,880 | $203,670 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 10,490 | 1.16 | $36,810 | $29,560 | $46,170 | -1% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 10,210 | 1.55 | $58,010 | $40,150 | $80,650 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 9,110 | 0.92 | $31,270 | $28,420 | $36,720 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 8,810 | 1.06 | $44,260 | $34,040 | $60,170 | -1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 7,740 | 1.67 | $40,020 | $37,750 | $49,760 | -5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,620 | 1.05 | $34,290 | $28,080 | $59,870 | -3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,480 | 0.54 | $36,450 | $31,850 | $44,630 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 7,090 | 1.30 | $47,760 | $37,810 | $63,720 | +0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 6,870 | 0.73 | $42,550 | $33,360 | $53,160 | +6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,690 | 0.95 | $35,620 | $29,920 | $46,750 | -3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 5,210 | 1.15 | $35,910 | $28,080 | $45,670 | -2% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 5,170 | 1.11 | $77,030 | $53,120 | $119,820 | -8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 5,030 | 1.09 | $63,700 | $45,760 | $92,810 | -8% |
| Childcare Workers | 4,940 | 2.97 | $31,330 | $28,700 | $36,610 | -10% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,400 | 0.56 | $39,690 | $29,240 | $55,990 | -12% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 4,360 | 0.89 | $51,700 | $37,690 | $71,800 | +4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 870 | 0.79 | $290,460 | $80,370 | $405,780 | +9% |
| Chief Executives | 1,330 | 2.03 | $228,220 | $105,770 | $530,980 | +7% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 740 | 3.45 | $185,110 | $70,920 | $369,180 | -28% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 720 | 1.03 | $148,930 | $107,040 | $222,240 | -13% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,970 | 1.38 | $145,500 | $98,810 | $215,960 | -17% |
| Pharmacists | 1,350 | 1.31 | $141,830 | $56,130 | $170,090 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 3,120 | 1.16 | $140,390 | $97,080 | $235,850 | -16% |
| Physician Assistants | 720 | 1.39 | $134,130 | $106,690 | $168,400 | -1% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,380 | 1.33 | $133,760 | $107,450 | $161,990 | +1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,020 | 1.45 | $132,020 | $85,570 | $211,770 | -12% |
| Lawyers | 2,010 | 0.83 | $131,730 | $76,700 | $230,820 | -17% |
| Sales Managers | 1,760 | 0.86 | $130,100 | $77,320 | $226,880 | -12% |
| Software Developers | 3,920 | 0.73 | $125,220 | $80,120 | $162,800 | -8% |
| Computer Network Architects | 780 | 1.36 | $121,970 | $80,300 | $167,940 | -9% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 940 | 0.89 | $121,950 | $81,110 | $159,850 | +15% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,380 | 0.69 | $120,620 | $56,400 | $195,400 | -15% |
| Marketing Managers | 1,280 | 1.01 | $112,870 | $76,330 | $200,150 | -32% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 820 | 1.04 | $109,960 | $75,980 | $171,230 | -13% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,450 | 1.72 | $108,790 | $74,040 | $170,890 | -5% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,940 | 1.01 | $107,810 | $78,790 | $195,000 | -13% |
These figures are for the whole Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,660 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.0% |
| Retail trade | 10.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 10.3% |
| Manufacturing | 8.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.1% |
| Construction | 7.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.3% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Public administration | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.3% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Omaha 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 590,736 | $73,771 million | $124,879 | 340,716 | 18,801 | $67,868 | -0.2% | 2.6% | 328,644 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 58,732 | 19.7% | $69,433 | 1.20 |
| Retail trade | 32,535 | 10.9% | $39,793 | 0.96 |
| Accommodation and food services | 31,169 | 10.5% | $25,137 | 1.01 |
| Manufacturing | 23,633 | 7.9% | $66,421 | 0.84 |
| Administrative and waste services | 23,144 | 7.8% | $59,457 | 1.15 |
| Finance and insurance | 22,855 | 7.7% | $112,028 | 1.65 |
| Professional and technical services | 21,277 | 7.1% | $96,697 | 0.90 |
| Construction | 18,671 | 6.3% | $75,017 | 1.04 |
| Management of companies | 13,024 | 4.4% | $120,548 | 2.27 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9,862 | 3.3% | $47,592 | 0.96 |
| Wholesale trade | 9,406 | 3.2% | $85,935 | 0.70 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,511 | 2.9% | $59,207 | 0.59 |
| Information | 6,852 | 2.3% | $99,445 | 1.07 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 6,767 | 2.3% | $28,947 | 1.18 |
| Real estate and rental | 5,702 | 1.9% | $60,535 | 1.08 |
| Educational services | 4,893 | 1.6% | $62,737 | 0.69 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 429 | 0.1% | $57,979 | 0.16 |
| Utilities | 279 | 0.1% | $456,869 | 0.22 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 47 | 0.0% | $86,317 | 0.04 |
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 | 71.8% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 15.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,201 |
| Income per person | $43,638 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,187 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.5% |
| Median home value | $245,500 |
| Homeowners | 57.4% |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,660 |
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; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. 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: Graduated, top rate 4.55%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 40.1% |
| Born abroad | 11.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.1 | 23 | 19 |
| Feb | -3.6 | 26 | 23 |
| Mar | 3.6 | 38 | 42 |
| Apr | 10.5 | 51 | 79 |
| May | 16.6 | 62 | 121 |
| Jun | 22.6 | 73 | 118 |
| Jul | 25.5 | 78 | 74 |
| Aug | 23.9 | 75 | 105 |
| Sep | 19.2 | 67 | 81 |
| Oct | 10.8 | 51 | 60 |
| Nov | 3.6 | 38 | 30 |
| Dec | -3.1 | 26 | 34 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralston | NE | 4 mi | 6,472 | $69,403 | $1,215 |
| La Vista | NE | 6 mi | 16,563 | $81,961 | $1,317 |
| Chalco | NE | 7 mi | 10,595 | $85,672 | $1,195 |
| Papillion | NE | 8 mi | 25,244 | $111,679 | $1,269 |
| Bellevue | NE | 10 mi | 64,510 | $85,462 | $1,226 |
| Council Bluffs | IA | 11 mi | 62,586 | $64,578 | $1,030 |
| Gretna | NE | 12 mi | 9,193 | $123,992 | $1,540 |
| Offutt AFB | NE | 12 mi | 6,074 | $72,500 | $1,666 |
| Plattsmouth | NE | 20 mi | 6,731 | $73,929 | $941 |
| Blair | NE | 20 mi | 7,914 | $81,452 | $937 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
Large employers headquartered in Omaha (from our list of the 200 largest US-based employers):
| Company ⇅ | Industry ⇅ | Employees (global) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway | Conglomerate | 387,800 (2025) |
488,837 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,187 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.5% of the median household income.
$73,201 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.6% (BLS county, Douglas County (latest month 2026M09)).
Nebraska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.