SalaryExplorer

SOC 35-9021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Dishwashers — South Bend

South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI · 10 metro areas compared

$29,090 /year
$13.99per hour
350jobs in area
−16.4%vs US median

The median wage for Dishwashers in South Bend, IN is $29,090 per year, 16.4% below the national median of $34,810.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $34,81010TH$22,11025TH$26,510MEDIAN$29,09075TH$33,97090TH$37,140

How pay has moved

$30,750$20,7902019202020212022202320242025$29,090
$22,450 in 2019 to $29,090 in 2025, +29.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+0.2%
Openings per year
76,800
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Dishwashers in South Bend, IN is $29,090 per year, 16.4% below the national median of $34,810. Half of workers earn between $26,510 and $33,970. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $22,110 and the ninetieth at $37,140.

Employment stands at 350, or 2.7 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Indianapolis records the highest median at $30,520. Of the 387 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 379th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$22,110−36.5%
25th$26,510−23.8%
Median (50th)$29,090−16.4%
75th$33,970−2.4%
90th$37,140+6.7%
Mean$29,650−14.8%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Indiana

Median annual wage for Dishwashers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Indianapolis$30,5202,690
2Elkhart$29,900140
3Kokomo$29,430110
4Bloomington$28,740210
5Fort Wayne$28,710450
6Lafayette$28,690250
7Evansville$28,460300
8Michigan City$28,330130
9Terre Haute$27,680170
10Muncie$27,460120

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in South Bend run 7.1% below the national average, so the median of $29,090 goes as far as $31,313 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 10.0% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$29,090as reported by BLS

Local price level

92.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$31,313US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $29,090 a year, 16.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $22,110 to $37,140 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 350 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Indianapolis, at $30,520.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Dishwashers in South Bend, IN?

The median annual wage is $29,090, or $13.99 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $34,810, so pay in South Bend, IN is 16.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in South Bend, IN earns more than $37,140 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $22,110 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Indianapolis, at $30,520 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 350 jobs in this occupation in South Bend, IN. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Dishwashers Salary in South Bend, IN (2025): $29,090 Median | Salary Explorer