Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Anderson, IN MSA — September 2026
Anderson's labor market cools as Indiana's holds firm.
Madison County unemployment climbed to 3.6% in July even as Indiana held at a three-year-low 3.3%, while the county's $993 average weekly wage continues to trail the $1,654 national figure by nearly 40%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Madison County unemployment: 3.6% — vs Indiana's 3.3% statewide, July 2026
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson MSA rate: 3.4% — up from 3.0% in May 2026
- Madison County avg weekly wage: $993 — vs $1,654 U.S. average
- Indiana labor force participation: 63% — down from 63.1%, still above 61.8% national
Key takeaways
County unemployment diverges from state's historic low.
Madison County's 3.6% July rate sits three-tenths above Indiana's 3.3% statewide figure, itself the lowest since May 2023. Gap is consistent with the county's manufacturing exposure amid a MSA-wide unemployment rise from 3.0% to 3.4% between May and June.
Wage floor remains well below national average.
Madison County's $993 average weekly wage trails the $1,654 U.S. average by roughly 40%, even as several advertised local roles — manufacturing assembler, electrician, registered nurse — post significant year-over-year gains. Divergence suggests wage growth is concentrated in specific occupations rather than lifting the broader local pay floor.
Manufacturing momentum statewide has not yet steadied the county.
Indiana added 3,500 manufacturing jobs statewide in the July-August period and the governor's office announced 570 new high-wage positions in advanced manufacturing and defense, yet Madison County manufacturing employment has declined to roughly 5,313 jobs. Local economic development leaders may want to assess whether the county is positioned to compete for these state-level investment announcements.
National wage-inflation squeeze adds context to local pay gains.
National real wages are no longer outpacing inflation, with wage growth at 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, even as several Anderson-area roles show significant advertised pay increases. Local gains in electrician ($79,040, up significantly) and nursing ($106,701, up significantly) pay may reflect sector-specific demand rather than broad local purchasing-power improvement.
Median advertised pay by role — Anderson, IN MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $20,703 | $25,885 | $30,170 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $24,534 | $26,692 | $30,007 | Moderate decline | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $35,360 | $38,545 | $41,600 | Moderate increase | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $58,480 | $81,042 | $93,600 | Stable | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $27,646 | $31,914 | $37,226 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $37,384 | $40,352 | $43,680 | Moderate increase | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $64,416 | $79,040 | $83,000 | Significant increase | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $34,980 | $40,421 | $41,600 | Significant increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $30,277 | $41,600 | $42,000 | Significant increase | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $29,557 | $30,328 | $31,200 | Stable | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $34,096 | $41,080 | $41,860 | Moderate increase | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $38,262 | $41,135 | $43,032 | Moderate increase | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician | $72,500 | $87,500 | $87,500 | Stable | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $85,800 | $106,701 | $114,936 | Significant increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $74,022 | $86,784 | $86,812 | Significant increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $92,885 | $123,169 | $140,680 | Stable | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $39,706 | $63,061 | $72,004 | Moderate increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $85,134 | $85,465 | $85,466 | Significant increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $59,349 | $71,896 | $71,970 | Stable | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $46,265 | $57,200 | $67,007 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $72,499 | $81,721 | $90,187 | Moderate increase | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $40,560 | $55,091 | $61,337 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $60,124 | $78,251 | $120,918 | Significant increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $63,750 | $65,401 | $67,500 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $90,384 | $113,970 | $113,970 | Moderate increase | $98,279 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $78,420 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $44,460 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $36,400 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $76,250 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $83,915 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $43,817 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $57,592 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $65,041 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $32,151 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $68,150 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Madison County unemployment ticked up to 3.6% in July against Indiana's statewide hold at 3.3%, a gap consistent with the county's heavier reliance on manufacturing employment that has declined to roughly 5,313 jobs as the broader Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson MSA rate rose from 3.0% in May to 3.4% in June. Advertised pay in manufacturing production and warehouse roles moved up moderately to significantly even as Madison County's average weekly wage of $993 trails the national average of $1,654 by nearly 40%, suggesting local wage gains are concentrated rather than broad-based.
What it means
Softening county-level unemployment alongside rising advertised pay in manufacturing, electrician, and nursing roles points to a labor market that is tightening selectively rather than cooling uniformly, a pattern commerce leaders should weigh before reading headline unemployment figures as a single verdict on local business conditions. Public-sector and healthcare wage stability, paired with the state's $215 million Givaudan investment in nearby Dearborn County and statewide advanced-manufacturing commitments, signals continued regional capital inflow that Anderson-area officials may want to track for spillover effects. Consider evaluating which sectors are absorbing the county's wage gap against the state average — targeted investment attraction in higher-wage manufacturing and healthcare segments may do more to close that gap than broad-based economic development messaging.
Looking ahead
Expected: BLS releases official September Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson MSA and Madison County unemployment data in early October. Watch whether the county rate narrows toward or further diverges from the state's 3.3% figure, a signal of whether local conditions are tracking or lagging Indiana's broader tightness.
Emerging pressure point: Indiana's 24 WARN notices in 2026 affected 3,646 workers statewide, concentrated in manufacturing and transportation/logistics — sectors well represented in Madison County's employer base. Local commerce leaders should monitor whether any new filings touch Anderson-area manufacturing or logistics operations in coming weeks.
Potential inflection point: Statewide advanced-manufacturing and agbioscience investment announcements, including the $215 million Givaudan project in Dearborn County, suggest the state is actively courting capacity expansion. Whether Madison County positions itself to capture a share of this investment pipeline over the next quarter will shape its medium-term employment trajectory.
Worth watching: Indiana's labor force participation rate has slipped from 63.1% to 63% over the past month and 0.8 points over the past year, even while remaining above the 61.8% national rate. A continued county-level decline would warrant attention from workforce development planners assessing the local labor supply pipeline.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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