Santa Clara County, Calif., posted the highest average weekly wage among all large U.S. counties at $1,857 in the third quarter of 2011, according to the most recent data reported today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Santa Clara County is the home of Silicon Valley. It was followed by New York County, N.Y., which recorded the second-highest average weekly wage among large counties at $1,647. That county is the location of Manhattan.

Santa Clara County also posted the biggest increase among the largest U.S. counties with its average weekly wage rising by $195, or 11.7 percent, in the third quarter on a year-over-year basis. However, the largest percentage increase took place in Lake County, Ohio, where the average weekly wage rose 17.1 percent.

The U.S. average weekly wage rose by 5.3 percent in the third quarter of 2011 compared with the same period a year ago.