Jobs, pay and daily life in Palm Bay, 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.
Palm Bay is a city in Florida with 130,132 residents. The median household earns $72,614 a year and the median rent is $1,601 a month, which is 26.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 245,170 jobs.
How Palm Bay compares. Among the 120 largest places in Florida, Palm Bay is #17 by population, #104 for college degrees (#1 = most), #18 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #99 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Brevard County, is #6 of 67 counties for average pay ($68,051).
Palm Bay has 130,132 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Florida. It covers 87 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,501 people per square mile. The median age is 41.0, 4% younger than the state median (41.0 against 42.6).
The median gross rent is $1,601 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% below the state median ($1,601 against $1,669). Over a year that is 26.5% 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 $283,200, which is 3.9 times the median household income ($72,614); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 79.7% of households own their home, 18% above the state average (79.7% 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%. 59.6% 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, 74.5% drive alone, 0.5% use public transit, 0.8% walk, 11.0% work from home. 15.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 15% below the state average (15.3% against 18.1%).
24.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30% below the state share (24.0% against 34.1%). 16.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 27% below the state share (16.0% against 21.9%). The poverty rate is 11.7%, 7% below the state rate (11.7% 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: Melbourne (11 miles, rent 5% lower); Fort Pierce (42 miles, rent 24% lower); St. Cloud (42 miles, rent 5% higher); Titusville (44 miles, rent 17% lower). Rent differences are against Palm Bay; 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 | 23.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.2% |
| Manufacturing | 12.0% |
| Construction | 9.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.9% |
| Other services | 5.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.9% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| 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 Palm Bay 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 | 74.5% |
| Public transit | 0.5% |
| Walk | 0.8% |
| Work from home | 11.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 15.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,614 |
| Income per person | $34,813 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,601 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 26.5% |
| Median home value | $283,200 |
| Homeowners | 79.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% |
| 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 | 41.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.0% |
| Born abroad | 16.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 59.6% |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | FL | 11 mi | 86,576 | $66,991 | $1,525 |
| Fort Pierce | FL | 42 mi | 49,082 | $47,072 | $1,217 |
| St. Cloud | FL | 42 mi | 65,130 | $83,174 | $1,683 |
| Titusville | FL | 44 mi | 49,385 | $66,192 | $1,334 |
| Orlando | FL | 48 mi | 319,758 | $72,336 | $1,747 |
| Port St. Lucie | FL | 50 mi | 232,491 | $80,648 | $1,937 |
| Meadow Woods | FL | 50 mi | 42,852 | $82,744 | $1,906 |
| Alafaya | FL | 51 mi | 92,449 | $100,950 | $1,999 |
| Poinciana | FL | 51 mi | 75,068 | $68,015 | $1,965 |
| Kissimmee | FL | 52 mi | 81,479 | $53,758 | $1,647 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
130,132 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,601 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 26.5% of the median household income.
$72,614 (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.