Jobs, pay and daily life in Savannah, 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.
Savannah is a city in Georgia with 147,898 residents. The median household earns $57,137 a year and the median rent is $1,382 a month, which is 29.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Savannah, GA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 198,360 jobs.
How Savannah compares. Among the 100 largest places in Georgia, Savannah is #5 by population, #11 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #76 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #75 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Chatham County, is #9 of 159 counties for average pay ($61,834).
Savannah has 147,898 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.4% of the population of Georgia. It covers 109 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,351 people per square mile. The median age is 34.0, 10% younger than the state median (34.0 against 37.6).
The median gross rent is $1,382 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,382 against $1,393). Over a year that is 29.0% 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 $248,900, which is 4.4 times the median household income ($57,137). 45.4% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (45.4% against 65.7%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Savannah, GA metropolitan area has 198,360 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,240 a year, 7% below the national median ($47,240 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (25,900 jobs, median $41,590); food preparation and serving related (21,850 jobs, median $29,230); office and administrative support (21,270 jobs, median $43,920). The area is most specialised in installation, maintenance, and repair (1.6 times) and transportation and material moving (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 ($103,360) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($80,040). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Chatham County was 3.1%. 62.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Chatham County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.7% drive alone, 2.3% use public transit, 3.4% walk, 11.4% work from home. 7.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 62% below the state average (7.5% against 19.8%).
33.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5% below the state share (33.3% against 35.0%). 7.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 32% below the state share (7.6% against 11.2%). The poverty rate is 19.6%, 47% above the state rate (19.6% against 13.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 83°F (28.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 50°F (9.8°C). About 1,151 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (160 mm) and Nov the driest (53 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: Pooler (7 miles, rent 21% higher); Richmond Hill (11 miles, rent 29% higher); Port Wentworth (12 miles, rent 31% higher); Wilmington Island (13 miles, rent 27% higher). Rent differences are against Savannah; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Georgia (1,096) →State guide: GeorgiaCountry guideChatham CountyGeorgia 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 1,096 federal postings open in Georgia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Georgia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 7,810 | 2.07 | $38,250 | $29,860 | $56,540 | -5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,820 | 1.37 | $30,160 | $22,890 | $46,190 | -15% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,710 | 1.16 | $27,460 | $21,320 | $36,850 | -12% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 4,940 | 1.70 | $20,830 | $15,080 | $53,470 | -41% |
| Cashiers | 4,470 | 1.13 | $29,140 | $22,940 | $34,840 | -11% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,410 | 1.68 | $58,930 | $38,750 | $76,610 | +0% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,200 | 0.97 | $86,760 | $66,030 | $102,320 | -11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,870 | 0.87 | $83,990 | $41,600 | $211,040 | -21% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,290 | 0.99 | $36,830 | $29,990 | $55,940 | -18% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,080 | 0.85 | $35,510 | $30,040 | $45,910 | -5% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,860 | 0.91 | $40,750 | $29,320 | $57,680 | -9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,570 | 1.43 | $35,940 | $26,850 | $46,200 | -4% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 2,310 | 2.34 | $43,830 | $36,080 | $53,300 | -6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,210 | 0.78 | $33,770 | $24,770 | $45,380 | -8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,180 | 1.40 | $43,680 | $29,360 | $65,800 | -1% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 2,180 | 1.22 | $45,570 | $31,930 | $58,000 | +2% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,080 | 1.07 | $46,580 | $32,770 | $69,710 | -6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,960 | 1.37 | $44,160 | $29,720 | $75,630 | -9% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,950 | 1.40 | $74,630 | $43,580 | $127,260 | -10% |
| Security Guards | 1,880 | 1.15 | $34,810 | $27,660 | $45,790 | -8% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 640 | 0.67 | $123,050 | $72,000 | $215,230 | -23% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,010 | 1.28 | $104,670 | $64,060 | $178,950 | -26% |
| Industrial Engineers | 650 | 1.40 | $100,100 | $73,180 | $134,200 | -2% |
| Project Management Specialists | 860 | 0.64 | $98,930 | $51,310 | $155,810 | -3% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 520 | 1.54 | $96,850 | $58,620 | $198,220 | -15% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,200 | 0.97 | $86,760 | $66,030 | $102,320 | -11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,870 | 0.87 | $83,990 | $41,600 | $211,040 | -21% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,100 | 1.28 | $81,370 | $48,060 | $123,790 | +9% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,360 | 0.74 | $79,790 | $52,340 | $136,090 | -5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,120 | 1.08 | $78,590 | $52,350 | $111,590 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,220 | 1.55 | $77,960 | $47,620 | $129,360 | -2% |
| Instructional Coordinators | 500 | 1.73 | $75,290 | $50,720 | $99,220 | -3% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,950 | 1.40 | $74,630 | $43,580 | $127,260 | -10% |
| Compliance Officers | 590 | 1.11 | $73,320 | $42,820 | $117,930 | -9% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1,110 | 1.46 | $72,800 | $37,590 | $107,880 | +50% |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 1,260 | 3.40 | $72,770 | $46,030 | $85,260 | +18% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 690 | 0.60 | $70,860 | $39,510 | $127,300 | -10% |
| Logisticians | 680 | 2.12 | $68,610 | $47,300 | $99,670 | -17% |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 770 | 1.37 | $66,370 | $48,390 | $84,070 | +3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | 1,330 | 1.67 | $65,000 | $43,810 | $94,640 | +3% |
These figures are for the whole Savannah, GA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,240 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.6% |
| Retail trade | 13.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.7% |
| Manufacturing | 6.4% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Construction | 4.3% |
| Public administration | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Savannah 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 300,879 | $28,463 million | $94,598 | 170,836 | 10,826 | $61,834 | +1.1% | 3.1% | 161,013 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 21,786 | 14.3% | $29,135 | 1.40 |
| Health care and social assistance | 21,145 | 13.9% | $64,138 | 0.86 |
| Manufacturing | 19,982 | 13.1% | $98,541 | 1.42 |
| Retail trade | 19,816 | 13.0% | $41,355 | 1.16 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15,588 | 10.2% | $61,331 | 2.16 |
| Administrative and waste services | 13,565 | 8.9% | $43,196 | 1.35 |
| Construction | 7,786 | 5.1% | $73,615 | 0.87 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,511 | 4.3% | $86,345 | 0.97 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,807 | 3.8% | $84,059 | 0.49 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5,068 | 3.3% | $47,581 | 0.99 |
| Educational services | 4,081 | 2.7% | $71,422 | 1.16 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,034 | 2.0% | $59,126 | 1.14 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,712 | 1.8% | $33,326 | 0.94 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,663 | 1.7% | $110,755 | 0.38 |
| Information | 1,235 | 0.8% | $67,941 | 0.39 |
| Management of companies | 726 | 0.5% | $87,926 | 0.25 |
| Utilities | 679 | 0.4% | $98,634 | 1.05 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 80 | 0.1% | $44,515 | 0.06 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 45 | 0.0% | $77,436 | 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 | 69.7% |
| Public transit | 2.3% |
| Walk | 3.4% |
| Work from home | 11.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,137 |
| Income per person | $33,007 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,382 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 29.0% |
| Median home value | $248,900 |
| Homeowners | 45.4% |
| Poverty rate | 19.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.2 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,240 |
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: Flat 5.19%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 33.3% |
| Born abroad | 7.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.8 | 50 | 62 |
| Feb | 11.8 | 53 | 75 |
| Mar | 15.3 | 60 | 82 |
| Apr | 19.6 | 67 | 76 |
| May | 23.9 | 75 | 89 |
| Jun | 27.0 | 81 | 149 |
| Jul | 28.2 | 83 | 131 |
| Aug | 27.8 | 82 | 160 |
| Sep | 25.5 | 78 | 103 |
| Oct | 20.9 | 70 | 89 |
| Nov | 15.4 | 60 | 53 |
| Dec | 12.1 | 54 | 82 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pooler | GA | 7 mi | 28,466 | $91,766 | $1,671 |
| Richmond Hill | GA | 11 mi | 18,181 | $92,824 | $1,781 |
| Port Wentworth | GA | 12 mi | 12,892 | $79,731 | $1,812 |
| Wilmington Island | GA | 13 mi | 13,905 | $93,924 | $1,752 |
| Bluffton | SC | 21 mi | 33,157 | $111,281 | $2,256 |
| Hardeeville | SC | 21 mi | 10,871 | $78,365 | $1,406 |
| Hinesville | GA | 28 mi | 35,679 | $60,028 | $1,212 |
| Hilton Head Island | SC | 29 mi | 37,911 | $94,657 | $1,479 |
| Port Royal | SC | 37 mi | 15,579 | $74,870 | $1,726 |
| Beaufort | SC | 41 mi | 13,747 | $61,220 | $1,212 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
147,898 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,382 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 29.0% of the median household income.
$57,137 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.1% (BLS county, Chatham County (latest month 2026M09)).
Georgia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.