Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA — October 2026
Hagerstown's low jobless rate hides a wage story split by sector.
Washington County's 3.6% unemployment rate beats the state's 3.9% and the nation's 4.1%, even as advertised pay for Electricians and Data Engineers fell sharply while CDL Truck Driver pay climbed to $85,000.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Washington County unemployment: 3.6% — vs 3.9% Maryland, 4.1% national (Sept. 2026)
- CDL Truck Driver advertised pay: $85,000 — vs $78,872 national median, up moderately
- Maryland payroll employment change: -20,100 jobs — Aug.-Sept. 2026, amid falling unemployment rate
- Maryland labor force participation: 63.7% — vs 61.8% national rate
Key takeaways
Truck driver pay signals a logistics corridor flexing its muscle.
CDL Truck Driver advertised pay rose to a $85,000 metro median, moderately ahead of the $78,872 national figure, consistent with the metro's position along I-70/I-81 freight corridors. This divergence may reflect sustained regional demand for distribution and warehousing capacity even as other skilled trades soften.
Electrician and HVAC pay drift lower while national figures climb.
Metro Electrician pay fell significantly to $67,600 against a rising national median of $71,835, and HVAC Technician pay held flat locally while climbing nationally. That gap suggests local construction and trades demand has not kept pace with national momentum, a detail relevant to any infrastructure or housing development timeline.
County unemployment at 3.6% outperforms state and nation alike.
Washington County's rate sits below Maryland's 3.9% and the national 4.1%, extending a decline from 4.5% in January. Tight labor availability alongside flat-to-falling pay in several occupations is consistent with a market where demand exists but employers are not yet competing aggressively on advertised wages.
Technical-role pay erosion raises a workforce-pipeline question.
Data Engineer advertised pay fell significantly to $101,182, nearly $37,000 below the national median, and Financial Analyst and Warehouse Manager pay also dropped sharply. Persistent gaps of this size may indicate the metro is not yet a competitive draw for higher-wage technical and analytical work, a factor economic development planners may want to track against any technology-sector recruitment goals.
Median advertised pay by role — Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $26,119 | $32,412 | $35,360 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $28,464 | $33,280 | $33,280 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $35,318 | $39,520 | $41,600 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $62,492 | $85,000 | $93,600 | Moderate increase | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $29,555 | $33,195 | $36,511 | Significant decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $33,239 | $38,932 | $45,760 | Stable | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $60,697 | $67,600 | $72,536 | Significant decline | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $33,667 | $39,520 | $43,680 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $32,485 | $37,440 | $43,540 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $26,903 | $35,954 | $42,959 | Significant decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $36,014 | $44,200 | $46,800 | Moderate increase | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $34,320 | $42,427 | $45,805 | Moderate decline | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $53,040 | $65,520 | $70,720 | Stable | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $87,218 | $106,511 | $116,479 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $113,354 | $121,251 | $134,128 | Stable | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $92,917 | $101,182 | $120,959 | Significant decline | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $56,646 | $67,373 | $73,329 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $65,335 | $77,599 | $83,159 | Significant decline | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $62,000 | $69,955 | $77,500 | Moderate increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $50,576 | $70,001 | $80,677 | Moderate increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $73,088 | $94,522 | $100,869 | Stable | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $38,750 | $56,656 | $61,042 | Moderate increase | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $52,000 | $82,207 | $100,974 | Moderate increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $50,960 | $50,960 | $62,990 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $91,303 | $107,237 | $115,295 | Moderate increase | $98,302 |
* 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 | $55,944 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $58,354 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $35,240 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $50,391 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Information | $70,720 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $60,642 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $74,611 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $84,907 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $31,200 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Government | $68,627 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Washington County's unemployment rate held at 3.6% in September, well below both the Maryland rate of 3.9% and the national rate of 4.1%, consistent with the broader MSA trend that saw employment climb to 141,765 by mid-year from 138,497 in January. Metro wage data show a divided picture: CDL Truck Driver pay rose to a $85,000 metro median, moderately outpacing the $78,872 national figure, while Electrician ($67,600) and Data Engineer ($101,182) advertised pay fell significantly against rising or flat national figures, suggesting uneven demand across the metro's blue-collar and technical segments.
What it means
Low unemployment alongside falling advertised pay in several skilled trades and technical roles points to a labor market that is tight on headcount but inconsistent in wage pressure — a signal for economic development leaders that the metro's competitive position varies sharply by sector. Commerce leaders weighing expansion or relocation incentives should treat the county's sub-4% unemployment as evidence of a thin available labor pool; it does not indicate that wage costs are rising across the board. Consider evaluating sector-specific advertised pay trends before assuming metro-wide tightness applies equally to logistics, construction trades, and professional services.
Looking ahead
Data gap to monitor: BLS has not yet released October metro-level employment data for Hagerstown-Martinsburg, with the most recent full MSA figures dating to June. Expect a lag before the complete picture of fall 2026 conditions becomes available through the BLS Mid-Atlantic office.
Emerging pressure point: Maryland's employer-survey data showed a loss of 20,100 payroll jobs across August and September even as household-survey unemployment fell, a divergence state officials attribute to data volatility. Watch whether upcoming revisions confirm payroll softness or correct toward the stronger household-survey signal.
Worth watching: Statewide small-business hiring intent remained flat in October (NFIB), with skilled-worker opening reports down four points and unskilled-labor shortage reports up three. A similar pattern locally would suggest commerce leaders should temper expectations for near-term private-sector expansion announcements.
Policy factor: Federal labor force growth has slowed amid lower immigration flows and elevated retirements, a structural trend with direct relevance to a metro positioned along a major freight and logistics corridor dependent on driver and warehouse labor availability. No partisan read is implied; the demographic and policy facts bear watching as a constraint on labor supply regardless of cause.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics) — Washington County unemployment rate at 3.6% in September 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Hagerstown-Martinsburg MSA employment grew to 141,765 by June 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Maryland lost 20,100 payroll jobs across August and September 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Maryland labor force participation rate at 63.7% vs 61.8% national
- National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) — NFIB small business hiring intent flat with skilled-worker openings down
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Federal labor force growth slowed amid retirements and immigration curbs
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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