Key takeaway: Hotel and trade jobs pay far more here than on the mainland: a hotel desk clerk’s median is about $60,000 on Oʻahu, versus $35,070 nationally (BLS OEWS via O*NET). Accountants and software developers earn less than the U.S. median. Numbers are May 2025 estimates, released June 2026, checked October 30, 2026.
Median annual pay
| Job | Oʻahu | Maui County | Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $139,260 | $144,350 | $127,060 | $97,550 |
| Elementary teacher | $73,080 | $71,830 | $64,240 | $63,970 |
| Retail salesperson | $37,400 | $39,630 | $38,320 | $35,410 |
| Restaurant cook | $42,450 | $49,560 | $47,060 | $37,390 |
| Waiter or waitress (incl. reported tips) | $60,250 | $82,550 | $63,690 | $35,230 |
| Electrician | $100,270 | $98,480 | $81,680 | $63,190 |
| Carpenter | $94,310 | $82,110 | $80,750 | $60,580 |
| Software developer | $120,230 | $133,870 | not published | $135,980 |
| Accountant or auditor | $74,990 | $78,630 | $69,430 | $83,680 |
| Police officer | $83,820 | $83,790 | $82,470 | $76,210 |
| Housekeeping cleaner | $53,850 | $53,030 | $50,630 | $35,510 |
| Hotel desk clerk | $59,940 | $60,360 | $54,860 | $35,070 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Oʻahu = Urban Honolulu metro; Maui = Kahului-Wailuku metro; BLS reports Hawaiʻi County and Kauaʻi together.
All jobs combined
The average hourly wage across all jobs was $34.59 in Urban Honolulu and $33.04 in the Kahului-Wailuku area in May 2025, compared with $33.54 nationally (BLS, Honolulu; BLS, Kahului). Those are averages, so a few high earners pull them up.
Household income by county
| County | Median household income |
|---|---|
| Honolulu | $106,195 |
| Maui | $97,161 |
| Kauaʻi | $97,668 |
| Hawaiʻi County | $78,639 |
Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars. Statewide: $100,389.
Hawaiʻi County’s median household income is about $27,500 below Honolulu’s, one reason rents there are lower too.