Average Salary by State (2024 Salary Guide)

2024 Average Salary by State Rankings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collects statistics on pay, segmenting them by a variety of factors, including occupation, region and gender. Below is a table that looks at the most current data from the state point of view. 

Rank	State	Average Annual Salary
1	Massachusetts	$76,600
2	New York	$74,870
3	California	$73,220
4	Washington	$72,350
5	New Jersey	$70,890
6	Maryland	$69,750
7	Connecticut	$69,310
8	Colorado	$67,870
9	Alaska	$66,130
10	Virginia	$65,590
11	Rhode Island	$64,530
12	Illinois	$63,930
13	Minnesota	$63,640
14	Oregon	$62,680
15	New Hampshire	$62,550
16	Delaware	$62,260
17	Hawaii	$61,420
18	Vermont	$59,190
19	Arizona	$58,620
20	Pennsylvania	$58,470
21	Georgia	$58,000
22	Michigan	$58,000
23	Utah	$57,360
24	Texas	$57,300
25	Ohio	$56,530
26	North Carolina	$56,220
27	Wisconsin	$56,120
28	Florida	$55,980
29	Maine	$55,960
30	North Dakota	$55,800
31	Nevada	$55,490
32	Nebraska	$55,070
33	Missouri	$54,520
34	Wyoming	$54,440
35	New Mexico	$54,400
36	Iowa	$53,520
37	Indiana	$53,500
38	Kansas	$52,850
39	Tennessee	$52,820
40	Montana	$52,220
41	Kentucky	$51,490
42	Idaho	$51,350
43	Louisiana	$50,940
44	Oklahoma	$50,940
45	South Carolina	$50,650
46	Alabama	$50,620
47	South Dakota	$49,890
48	West Virginia	$49,170
49	Arkansas	$48,570
50	Mississippi	$45,180

10 Highest-Paying States

In the next table, we zoom in on the most well-paid states. Adding onto salary, we also include hourly and unemployment rates.

Rank	State	Average Annual Salary	Mean Hourly Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Massachusetts	$76,600	$36.83	2.9%
2	New York	$74,870	$36.00	4.3%
3	California	$73,220	$35.20	4.9%
4	Washington	$72,350	$34.79	4.0%
5	New Jersey	$70,890	$34.08	4.7%
6	Maryland	$69,750	$33.53	1.8%
7	Connecticut	$69,310	$33.32	3.6%
8	Colorado	$67,870	$32.63	3.3%
9	Alaska	$66,130	$31.79	4.4%
10	Virginia	$65,590	$31.54	2.9%

10 Lowest-Paying States

Below is the same information for the 10 lowest-paying states.

Rank	State	Average Annual Salary	Mean Hourly Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Mississippi	$45,180	$21.72	3.3%
2	Arkansas	$48,570	$23.35	3.3%
3	West Virginia	$49,170	$23.64	4.2%
4	South Dakota	$49,890	$23.99	2.0%
5	Alabama	$50,620	$24.34	2.4%
6	South Carolina	$50,650	$24.35	3.0%
7	Oklahoma	$50,940	$24.49	3.3%
8	Louisiana	$50,940	$24.49	3.5%
9	Idaho	$51,350	$24.69	3.3%
10	Kentucky	$51,490	$24.76	4.3%

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Average Salary Explained

Average annual salary is a dollar amount that represents the annual wage of full-time, salaried employees. The number is calculated based on survey results. A survey goes out to a group of people. The people respond with what they make in a year. All of the salaries are added together, and the total is divided by the number of people. This final number is the average annual salary.

Anyone can conduct a survey to collect salary information. And the results of such a survey can vary based on:

• Who gets the survey
• Who responds to the survey
• Where the respondents live
• What the respondents do
• Whether the respondents include bonuses and other forms of compensation outside of base salary
• What gender the respondents identify as

To give you the most accurate picture of what salary looks like across the country and in your state, we use data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in this article. BLS is a government agency that runs the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. 

OEWS works with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) to survey individuals in all states and territories. NASWA is made up of individual state agencies. OEWS gives the survey to these state agencies that then distribute it to businesses within their states.

BLS’ goal with this survey is to reach as many businesses as possible. If BLS can get a lot of results from all of the states, the average salary it reports is going to be close to what the true average is.

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Average Salary by Region

Salary not only differs across states but also regions. The Northeast and West Coast have higher average salaries than the South, but they also have higher costs of living. Consider Massachusetts, California and Mississippi. Massachusetts has the highest average wage, but its cost of living is 50% higher than the national average. California has the third highest average salary, but its cost of living is 40% higher than the national average. Compare those two states to Mississippi, which has the lowest average salary and a cost of living that is 16% lower than the national average. 

Here is a quick look at the remaining U.S. regions:

Rank	Region	Average Annual Salary
1	Northeast	$66,212
2	West	$60,775
3	Midwest	$56,114
4	Southwest	$55,315
5	Southeast	$53,653

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Average Salary by Occupation

Certain occupations, such as teachers and police officers, are critical in every state. However, cost of living affects how much they make. Below is a chart that lists nine important jobs and what they make at the national level and in the highest-paying and lowest-paying states.

Occupation	National Average Annual Salary	Highest-Paying State	State Average Annual Salary	Lowest-Paying State	State Average Annual Salary
Lawyer	$163,770	California	$201,530	Wyoming	$88,570
Social Worker*	$56,680	New Jersey	$75,590	Mississippi	$38,650
Registered Nurse	$89,010	California	$133,340	South Dakota	$64,500
Accountant	$86,740	New York	$110,320	Mississippi	$68,040
Police Officer	$71,380	California	$104,010	Mississippi	$38,430
Real Estate Agent	$65,850	New Hampshire	94,810	Illinois	$44,510
Electrician	$65,280	Hawaii	$88,630	Arkansas	$47,070
Teacher**	$69,480	California	$92,960	South Dakota	$49,190
Farmer	$83,790	North Dakota	$101,280	Mississippi	$38,810

*Child, Family and School Social Workers

**Secondary School Teachers

Note: This chart doesn’t take into consideration the District of Columbia because it’s not a state.  

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Average Salary by Gender

There are two ways to identify the gender pay gap, and both start with the Current Population Survey (CPS). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly sponsor this survey, though they look at different aspects of gender pay. The former looks at the median weekly earnings for full-time, salaried workers, and the latter looks at the median annual earnings for full-time, salaried employees. 

Both metrics are insightful, but BLS’ gender information is more readily accessible. Therefore, we are using that below.

5 Highest-Paying States for Women

Here are the five states that pay women the best. The chart compares women’s pay to men’s pay.

Rank	State	Women’s Median Weekly Earnings	Men’s Median Weekly Earnings	Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s
1	Rhode Island	$1,058	$1,156	91.5%
2	Delaware	$894	$987	90.6%
3	Wisconsin	$950	$1,063	89.4%
4	Kentucky	$820	$928	88.4%
5	Nevada	$828	$937	88.4%

5 Lowest-Paying States for Women

This chart looks at women’s earnings for the five lowest-paying states.

Rank	State	Women’s Median Weekly Earnings	Men’s Median Weekly Earnings	Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s
1	Utah	$825	$1,106	74.6%
2	Wyoming	$822	$1,093	75.2%
3	West Virginia	$756	$989	76.2%
4	New Hampshire	$963	$1,262	76.3%
5	Michigan	$910	$1,195	76.4%

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Factors Impacting Average Salaries

There are several factors that determine the average salary in a state, including: 

• Cost of living 
• Job and industry  
• State tax rate
• Education 
• Experience

The first factor is arguably the most significant. Some states have a higher cost of living. Therefore, employers need to pay their employees more so that they can afford to find a home, buy groceries and pay other expenses that come with living.

Employers in certain industries with certain roles may also pay their employees more. For instance, according to BLS’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the medical industry is booming. Some of the fastest-growing jobs in the country include nurse practitioners, epidemiologists and physician assistants. Since these roles are in such high demand, salaries for them are going to be higher to attract more workers.

The next important factor is state tax rate. Income tax can eat up a good portion of someone’s pay. Knowing this, employers may increase salary to compensate for lost wages. For example, Illinois’ income tax rate is 4.95%. Therefore, an Illinois employer may pay its employees 4.95% more to make up for taxes.  

Education can also affect salary. Employees typically earn more if they have a higher level of education. BLS found that the median weekly earnings for workers with a doctoral degree are $2,084, while workers with less than a high school diploma make an average of $682 per week. 

Finally, experienced team members usually get a higher salary. The proof is available in BLS’ Modeled Wage Estimates. This factsheet looks at experienced, intermediate and entry-level workers in various positions. In all examples, the more years of experience the worker had, the more they made.

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The Bottom Line

The average annual salary by state is useful information for both employees and employers. Knowing this information can help employees negotiate their compensation and employers determine the best pay to attract and retain talent. 

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Frequently Asked Questions About Average Salaries by State

Is $120,000 a good salary?

An annual salary of $120,000 is higher than the national average of $61,900. However, whether a salary is good depends on various factors, including cost of living, role and experience. 

What is considered a good salary?

What is considered a good salary varies. Cost of living, role, industry, education, experience and tax rate all affect what is fair pay for a given person.

Is $98,000 a good salary?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary across the country is $61,900. Comparing $98,000 to $61,900, it is significantly higher. However, there are several factors that determine if a salary is good, such as industry, education and experience.

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