GeoFrame / Grand Forks, ND-MN
Grand Forks, ND-MN
Population 73,771 · 21.7 people / sq mi
Real earning power — does pay outrun the cost of living?
Pay here runs at 0.98× the national wage against a cost of living -13.3% vs the nation — a net earning advantage of +12.5%.
The geography at a glance
Occupations here
secondaryThe occupations we can price in Grand Forks, ND-MN, ranked by pay — each with its premium over the occupation's national median and the employment growth BLS actually observed here. Jobs are associated context on GeoFrame; the geography is the anchor. Open any on JobFrame for the full role.
Employment growth 2019–2024, BLS OEWS
Across the 180 occupations Grand Forks, ND-MN published in both 2019 and 2024, employment moved +3.5% (37,960 → 39,280jobs). A matched basket, not the metro's total employment — occupations BLS suppressed in either year are left out rather than counted as zero.
| Occupation | Metro pay | vs national | Employment growth2019–2024 | Pay source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industrial Production Managers 11-3051 | $118,280 | -2.6% | +40.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Marketing Managers 11-2021 | $117,700 | -26.9% | +26.3%state | metro | on JobFrame › |
Human Resources Managers 11-3121 | $116,480 | -16.8% | +4.2%state | metro | on JobFrame › |
Data Scientists 15-2051 | $115,370 | +2.5% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Managers, All Other 11-9199 | $113,730 | -16.7% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Electrical Engineers 17-2071 | $108,210 | -3.3% | -20.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Industrial Engineers 17-2112 | $100,250 | -0.9% | +140.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Lawyers 23-1011 | $99,990 | -33.9% | +20.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 11-3071 | $99,830 | -2.1% | +0.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Civil Engineers 17-2051 | $98,960 | -0.6% | +38.5% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Engineers, All Other 17-2199 | $94,570 | -19.7% | +20.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Software Developers 15-1252 | $89,530 | -32.7% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Project Management Specialists 13-1082 | $81,410 | -19.2% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Mechanical Engineers 17-2141 | $81,260 | -20.6% | +100.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Computer Occupations, All Other 15-1299 | $75,710 | -30.5% | +0.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 51-1011 | $73,110 | +2.7% | -14.3% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Accountants and Auditors 13-2011 | $67,530 | -17.3% | +41.9% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Human Resources Specialists 13-1071 | $66,700 | -8.5% | +29.4% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 13-1199 | $65,800 | -19.0% | — | metro | on JobFrame › |
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other 19-4099 | $65,460 | +8.9% | -11.8%state | metro | on JobFrame › |
Training and Development Specialists 13-1151 | $65,380 | -0.7% | -12.5% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 41-3091 | $61,550 | -7.1% | -61.9% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Computer User Support Specialists 15-1232 | $53,200 | -11.8% | +38.5% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Paralegals and Legal Assistants 23-2011 | $51,960 | -14.8% | +0.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Animal Caretakers 39-2021 | $30,130 | -10.0% | +20.0% | metro | on JobFrame › |
Compare metros
Grand Forks, ND-MN against its two nearest-cost peers and the nation — the metrics side by side.
Grand Forks, ND-MN this metro | St. Louis, MO-IL | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median wage | $48,280 | $48,290 | $48,240 | $49,500 |
| Pay index | 0.98× | 0.98× | 0.97× | 1.00× |
| Cost of living (RPP) | 86.7 | 95.1 | 106.4 | 100.0 |
| Real earning power | 1.13× | 1.03× | 0.92× | 1.00× |
| Population | 73,771 | 279,695 | 2,214,281 | — |
Methodology
How to read this profile
Every number here is traceable — to a named source, a stated method, and an edition — and each value is labeled by how we know it: observed from data, computed by a formula, projected, or governed canon. Nothing is invented to fill a gap.
Where every number comes from
| What | Source & method | Edition | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-occupation median wage | BLS OEWS metropolitan-area all-occupation median | OEWS 2024 | observed |
| Pay index | Metro median ÷ national all-occupation median | OEWS 2024 | computed |
| Cost of living (RPP) | BEA Regional Price Parities (all items), national = 100 | BEA RPP 2023 | observed |
| Real earning power | Pay index ÷ (RPP ÷ 100) — pay against local cost | GeoFrame formula | computed |
| Population & density | U.S. Census population estimates + land area | Census | observed |
| Occupation pay by metro | BLS OEWS occupational medians (metro; state fallback where metro is suppressed) | OEWS 2024 | observed |
| Cost-of-labor rank | Rank of the metro cost-of-labor index across all areas | OEWS 2024 | computed |