Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: St. George, UT MSA — October 2026
St. George job growth triples the state pace, but gains are uneven.
Washington County employment grew near 4% over the past year against Utah's 1.4% statewide rate, even as advertised pay fell for Financial Analysts (-significant) and Food Service Workers (-significant) while CDL Truck Driver pay rose to $83,227.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Washington County unemployment: 3.5% — vs 4.1% national, 3.5% Utah statewide
- County employment growth: ~4% YoY — vs 1.4% Utah, far above national pace
- County avg. weekly wage growth: 4.0% — Matched 4.2% national rate, Q4 2025
- Job listings growth since Feb 2020: +55% — Through Oct 2025, signal of sustained demand
Key takeaways
Washington County's growth rate keeps outrunning the state average.
County employment grew near 4% year-over-year versus Utah's 1.4% statewide pace, extending a run that placed St. George atop national best-performing-cities rankings in early 2026. That gap is consistent with continued in-migration of businesses seeking favorable conditions outside Utah's major metros.
Trades and logistics pay are moving while office roles retreat.
CDL Truck Driver pay rose to $83,227 locally (above the $78,872 national median) and HVAC Technician pay climbed significantly to $68,366, while Financial Analyst and Operations Manager advertised pay both declined significantly. That divergence points to where local economic activity — construction, freight, service trades — is concentrated relative to professional services.
Local wage gains are not keeping pace with the national inflation story.
Washington County's 4.0% average weekly wage growth roughly matched the national 4.2% figure as of Q4 2025, but national CPI has since run at 3.5-3.7% against far weaker national pay growth (1.5-2.4%) — meaning the local wage cushion, while real, is not guaranteed to hold as the national wage-inflation gap widens.
Food service and retail pay softness may reflect a maturing tourism base.
Food Service Worker pay fell significantly to $32,090 and Retail Sales Associate and Delivery Driver pay both moved down moderately, a pattern that can signal softening consumer-facing demand or simply a normalizing labor pool after years of rapid tourism-sector growth. Either reading matters for retail and hospitality trade groups gauging seasonal strength into the winter tourist season.
Median advertised pay by role — St. George, UT MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $25,753 | $32,240 | $35,360 | Moderate decline | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $24,960 | $29,772 | $31,200 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $31,579 | $37,440 | $39,520 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $59,721 | $83,227 | $94,200 | Moderate increase | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $28,517 | $33,280 | $36,400 | Moderate decline | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $35,912 | $41,600 | $43,680 | Moderate increase | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $61,710 | $72,800 | $80,080 | Stable | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $33,329 | $37,440 | $38,649 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $30,160 | $35,360 | $38,000 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $29,047 | $32,090 | $36,205 | Significant decline | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $35,079 | $38,569 | $41,600 | Stable | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $35,748 | $39,520 | $42,640 | Stable | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $56,160 | $68,366 | $78,000 | Significant increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $77,583 | $90,251 | $93,600 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $116,945 | $156,144 | $170,130 | Moderate increase | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $109,495 | $131,322 | $152,855 | Moderate decline | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $53,890 | $62,578 | $69,840 | Moderate increase | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $72,887 | $87,510 | $101,700 | Significant decline | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $52,000 | $78,667 | $88,000 | Significant increase | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $48,386 | $64,000 | $74,709 | Moderate decline | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $70,538 | $81,400 | $94,948 | Moderate decline | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $35,859 | $47,180 | $54,078 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $65,054 | $100,166 | $123,545 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $43,753 | $67,376 | $69,421 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $82,647 | $95,206 | $103,179 | 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 | $54,080 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $97,095 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $36,400 | Moderate decline | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $51,993 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $134,753 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $75,000 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $70,239 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $40,560 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $31,384 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $65,807 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Washington County employment grew roughly 4% over the past year through August, adding more than 3,600 jobs to reach an estimated 93,566 jobs, with the local unemployment rate holding near 3.5% — tighter than the national 4.1% and in line with Utah's statewide 3.5% reading. Growth remains anchored by health care, tourism and retail, with Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, SkyWest Airlines and Utah Tech University among the metro's largest employers, while national sector softness in information and financial activities appears largely absent from this market's mix.
What it means
Washington County's job growth rate continues to outpace the state and national averages, a signal that the local business climate remains favorable for expansion decisions even as national hiring cools in white-collar sectors. Advertised wage data shows uneven pressure across the basket — CDL Truck Driver and HVAC Technician pay both posted significant local gains while Financial Analyst and Operations Manager pay declined, suggesting momentum is concentrated in trades and logistics. Commerce leaders evaluating site selection or expansion timing should consider that the metro's labor market tightness is sector-specific when assessing where local capacity is most available.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Washington County's unemployment rate has held between 3.5% and 3.6% for over a year; any drift toward the national 4.1% would mark a meaningful shift in local labor availability and warrants monthly tracking by county economic development staff.
Emerging pressure point: National information-sector job losses (-23,000 in September) and WARN filings tied to large employers have not materially touched St. George, but the metro's growing professional-services base (Software Engineer and Account Manager pay both up) makes it worth monitoring for early spillover.
Early indicator: Statewide, labor force participation is falling among prime-age (35-54) and youth workers while rising among those 55+, per Utah's chief economist. If that demographic rebalancing shows up locally, it has direct implications for Washington County's labor pool depth as tourism and health care continue expanding.
Potential inflection point: Construction labor statewide is described as 'tight but stabilizing' with wage growth projected above 5%; local Construction Laborer and Electrician pay already show upward movement, making this a leading indicator of whether the county's building boom is accelerating or leveling off.
Sources
- Utah Department of Workforce Services — Washington County employment grew ~4% over the past year through August 2026
- Utah Department of Workforce Services — Washington County unemployment rate at 3.5% as of August 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Washington County had largest employment increase among Utah's major counties at 2.3%
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — National median weekly earnings rose 1.5% vs 3.5% CPI gain, Q3 2026
- Utah Department of Workforce Services — Utah labor force participation falling among prime-age and youth workers
- Indeed — Job listings in St. George rose 55% from Feb 2020 to Oct 2025
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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