Jobs, pay and daily life in Rochester, 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.
Rochester is a city in Minnesota with 122,330 residents. The median household earns $89,389 a year and the median rent is $1,399 a month, which is 18.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Rochester, MN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 122,980 jobs.
How Rochester compares. Among the 80 largest places in Minnesota, Rochester is #3 by population, #19 for college degrees (#1 = most), #56 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #27 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Olmsted County, is #2 of 87 counties for average pay ($79,579).
Rochester has 122,330 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.1% of the population of Minnesota. It covers 57 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,159 people per square mile. The median age is 36.3, 6% younger than the state median (36.3 against 38.8).
The median gross rent is $1,399 a month (rent plus utilities), 9% above the state median ($1,399 against $1,280). Over a year that is 18.8% 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 $310,500, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($89,389); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 65.1% of households own their home, 10% below the state average (65.1% against 72.2%).
The Rochester, MN metropolitan area has 122,980 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,620 a year, 19% above the national median ($60,620 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are healthcare practitioners and technical (22,610 jobs, median $98,990); office and administrative support (13,620 jobs, median $51,820); food preparation and serving related (10,030 jobs, median $33,530). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (2.9 times) and healthcare support (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($125,580) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($98,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Olmsted County was 3.7%. 70.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Olmsted County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 64.8% drive alone, 3.7% use public transit, 4.5% walk, 14.7% work from home. 6.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 38% below the state average (6.5% against 10.5%).
50.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29% above the state share (50.9% against 39.4%). 13.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 54% above the state share (13.3% against 8.7%). The poverty rate is 8.5%, 8% below the state rate (8.5% against 9.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 15°F (-9.5°C). About 886 mm (35 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (138 mm) and Jan the driest (21 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: Austin (34 miles, rent 32% lower); Owatonna (38 miles, rent 24% lower); Red Wing (40 miles, rent 31% lower); Winona (40 miles, rent 37% lower). Rent differences are against Rochester; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Minnesota (791) →State guide: MinnesotaCountry guideOlmsted CountyMinnesota 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 791 federal postings open in Minnesota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Minnesota →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 6,390 | 2.39 | $101,660 | $81,960 | $127,540 | +4% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,260 | 1.25 | $39,270 | $35,550 | $46,280 | +10% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 3,890 | 5.11 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,900 | 0.94 | $36,000 | $28,410 | $49,110 | +2% |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians | 2,880 | 10.94 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cashiers | 2,600 | 1.06 | $34,960 | $28,380 | $38,320 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,550 | 0.84 | $31,190 | $27,860 | $36,820 | -0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,020 | 0.73 | $85,650 | $47,310 | $182,970 | -19% |
| Software Developers | 1,840 | 1.38 | $134,450 | $104,300 | $170,860 | -1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,690 | 0.87 | $48,810 | $36,070 | $66,420 | +8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,620 | 0.90 | $24,060 | $23,150 | $39,920 | -32% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,570 | 0.90 | $44,030 | $30,680 | $59,900 | +20% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,550 | 1.35 | $46,840 | $38,340 | $53,820 | +11% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,520 | 0.68 | $36,170 | $29,420 | $50,860 | -3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,460 | 1.30 | $41,250 | $31,520 | $46,850 | +12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,330 | 0.57 | $46,360 | $35,950 | $59,810 | +15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,260 | 0.77 | $62,180 | $45,340 | $93,490 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,250 | 0.61 | $47,050 | $32,580 | $64,940 | +5% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,190 | 4.65 | $126,270 | $84,040 | $163,040 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,060 | 0.95 | $38,150 | $30,680 | $46,100 | +2% |
These figures are for the whole Rochester, MN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,620 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 50.0% |
| Retail trade | 9.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6.6% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.1% |
| Other services | 3.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.3% |
| Public administration | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Rochester 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olmsted County | 164,498 | $15,729 million | $95,618 | 103,905 | 4,061 | $79,579 | +1.8% | 3.7% | 91,173 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 49,424 | 52.0% | $100,517 | 3.32 |
| Retail trade | 10,367 | 10.9% | $37,182 | 1.00 |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,254 | 8.7% | $28,825 | 0.87 |
| Manufacturing | 5,489 | 5.8% | $112,514 | 0.64 |
| Construction | 4,178 | 4.4% | $78,936 | 0.77 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,985 | 4.2% | $70,670 | 0.65 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,527 | 2.7% | $41,389 | 0.81 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,684 | 1.8% | $94,474 | 0.23 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,647 | 1.7% | $48,542 | 0.37 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,389 | 1.5% | $81,923 | 0.34 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,342 | 1.4% | $18,563 | 0.77 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,267 | 1.3% | $99,032 | 0.30 |
| Educational services | 952 | 1.0% | $33,569 | 0.44 |
| Information | 797 | 0.8% | $71,912 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 784 | 0.8% | $53,549 | 0.49 |
| Management of companies | 522 | 0.5% | $87,996 | 0.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 236 | 0.2% | $46,140 | 0.28 |
| Utilities | 155 | 0.2% | $109,686 | 0.39 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 57 | 0.1% | $82,326 | 0.15 |
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 | 64.8% |
| Public transit | 3.7% |
| Walk | 4.5% |
| Work from home | 14.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,389 |
| Income per person | $52,671 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,399 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.8% |
| Median home value | $310,500 |
| Homeowners | 65.1% |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $60,620 |
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 9.85%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 50.9% |
| Born abroad | 13.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -9.5 | 15 | 21 |
| Feb | -8.0 | 18 | 30 |
| Mar | -0.1 | 32 | 48 |
| Apr | 7.1 | 45 | 87 |
| May | 13.7 | 57 | 116 |
| Jun | 19.6 | 67 | 138 |
| Jul | 22.3 | 72 | 96 |
| Aug | 20.8 | 69 | 106 |
| Sep | 16.5 | 62 | 100 |
| Oct | 8.1 | 47 | 69 |
| Nov | 0.9 | 34 | 38 |
| Dec | -6.2 | 21 | 37 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | MN | 34 mi | 26,358 | $68,057 | $953 |
| Owatonna | MN | 38 mi | 26,498 | $80,750 | $1,067 |
| Red Wing | MN | 40 mi | 16,758 | $67,192 | $969 |
| Winona | MN | 40 mi | 26,009 | $56,337 | $882 |
| Faribault | MN | 44 mi | 24,631 | $61,449 | $1,074 |
| Northfield | MN | 46 mi | 20,742 | $84,895 | $1,103 |
| Albert Lea | MN | 51 mi | 18,330 | $64,603 | $857 |
| Hastings | MN | 53 mi | 22,117 | $93,998 | $1,183 |
| Farmington | MN | 56 mi | 23,902 | $123,673 | $1,241 |
| Rosemount | MN | 58 mi | 27,562 | $129,625 | $1,640 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
122,330 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,399 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.8% of the median household income.
$89,389 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Olmsted County (latest month 2026M09)).
Minnesota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.