A Rising Tide in San Mateo County

Residents in our home County of San Mateo had the highest average salary in the nation during the fourth quarter of 2012. [bold added]

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics last week reported that the average weekly wage in San Mateo County, California in the fourth quarter of 2012 rose an astounding 107% from a year earlier, to $3,240. That’s the equivalent of $168,000 a year, and more than more than [sic] 50% higher than the next highest county, New York County (better known as Manhattan), which came in at $2,107 a week, or roughly $110,000 a year.

According to the WSJ the county's stellar performance was driven by an average $1.1 million paid to 6,200 "computer systems design services" workers. The $1.1 million average in turn was skewed by Facebook employees recognizing stock-option income.

San Mateo County's top rank is temporary. In 2013, absent IPO income, our wage levels will settle down to normal; nevertheless they may crack the top-ten list. That's still impressive, considering that there are 3,140 counties in the United States.

Bay Area counties San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco are all in the top ten (source: BLS)