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Compare average salaries across all 50 US states to see where your income stands and where it goes furthest.
Average Salary by State (Ranked)
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | Median Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $76,600 | $65,000 | 118 | $64,915 |
| 2 | New York | $74,870 | $61,000 | 123 | $60,870 |
| 3 | California | $73,220 | $60,000 | 139 | $52,680 |
| 4 | Washington | $72,350 | $62,000 | 110 | $65,770 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $71,200 | $60,000 | 111 | $64,140 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $70,800 | $59,500 | 112 | $63,210 |
| 7 | Maryland | $69,750 | $58,000 | 115 | $60,650 |
| 8 | Alaska | $68,500 | $59,000 | 113 | $60,620 |
| 9 | Colorado | $67,200 | $55,500 | 110 | $61,090 |
| 10 | Virginia | $66,800 | $55,000 | 103 | $64,850 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $66,500 | $56,000 | 106 | $62,740 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $65,200 | $54,000 | 98 | $66,530 |
| 13 | Illinois | $64,800 | $53,000 | 97 | $66,800 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $64,200 | $52,500 | 108 | $59,440 |
| 15 | Oregon | $63,900 | $52,000 | 113 | $56,550 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $63,700 | $54,000 | 193 | $33,010 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $63,500 | $52,500 | 94 | $67,550 |
| 18 | Delaware | $63,200 | $52,000 | 103 | $61,360 |
| 19 | Texas | $62,800 | $52,000 | 93 | $67,530 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $62,500 | $52,500 | 94 | $66,490 |
| — | National Average | $63,795 | $56,420 | 100 | — |
| 21 | Arizona | $62,000 | $51,000 | 94 | $65,960 |
| 22 | Utah | $61,800 | $51,500 | 101 | $61,190 |
| 23 | Nevada | $61,500 | $51,000 | 103 | $59,710 |
| 24 | Georgia | $61,200 | $50,500 | 94 | $65,110 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $60,800 | $51,000 | 94 | $64,680 |
| 26 | Michigan | $60,500 | $50,000 | 95 | $63,680 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $60,200 | $49,500 | 93 | $64,730 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $60,000 | $50,000 | 92 | $65,220 |
| 29 | Ohio | $59,800 | $49,000 | 93 | $64,300 |
| 30 | Iowa | $59,500 | $49,500 | 90 | $66,110 |
| 31 | Kansas | $59,200 | $49,000 | 89 | $66,520 |
| 32 | Florida | $59,000 | $48,500 | 100 | $59,000 |
| 33 | Indiana | $58,800 | $48,500 | 90 | $65,330 |
| 34 | Missouri | $58,500 | $48,000 | 89 | $65,730 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $58,200 | $47,500 | 91 | $63,960 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $57,800 | $47,000 | 95 | $60,840 |
| 37 | Maine | $57,500 | $48,000 | 112 | $51,340 |
| 38 | Vermont | $57,200 | $48,500 | 114 | $50,180 |
| 39 | Montana | $57,000 | $47,500 | 100 | $57,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $56,500 | $46,500 | 90 | $62,780 |
| 41 | Idaho | $56,200 | $46,000 | 97 | $57,940 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $56,000 | $48,000 | 100 | $56,000 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $55,800 | $46,000 | 88 | $63,410 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $55,500 | $45,500 | 93 | $59,680 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $55,200 | $45,000 | 94 | $58,720 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $55,000 | $46,500 | 92 | $59,780 |
| 47 | Alabama | $54,800 | $45,000 | 92 | $59,570 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $54,000 | $44,000 | 89 | $60,670 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $53,500 | $44,500 | 85 | $62,940 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $52,000 | $43,000 | 88 | $59,090 |
Best States for Salary (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $63,500 | 94 | $67,550 |
| 2 | Texas | $62,800 | 93 | $67,530 |
| 3 | Illinois | $64,800 | 97 | $66,800 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $62,500 | 94 | $66,490 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $65,200 | 98 | $66,530 |
| 6 | Kansas | $59,200 | 89 | $66,520 |
| 7 | Iowa | $59,500 | 90 | $66,110 |
| 8 | Washington | $72,350 | 110 | $65,770 |
| 9 | Missouri | $58,500 | 89 | $65,730 |
| 10 | Indiana | $58,800 | 90 | $65,330 |
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024.” bls.gov/oes
Worst States for Salary (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $63,700 | 193 | $33,010 |
| 2 | Vermont | $57,200 | 114 | $50,180 |
| 3 | Maine | $57,500 | 112 | $51,340 |
| 4 | California | $73,220 | 139 | $52,680 |
| 5 | Oregon | $63,900 | 113 | $56,550 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $56,000 | 100 | $56,000 |
| 7 | Idaho | $56,200 | 97 | $57,940 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $55,200 | 94 | $58,720 |
| 9 | Florida | $59,000 | 100 | $59,000 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $52,000 | 88 | $59,090 |
Average Salary by Region
Northeast
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $76,600 | $65,000 | $64,915 |
| New York | $74,870 | $61,000 | $60,870 |
| Connecticut | $71,200 | $60,000 | $64,140 |
| New Jersey | $70,800 | $59,500 | $63,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,500 | $52,500 | $67,550 |
West
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $73,220 | $60,000 | $52,680 |
| Washington | $72,350 | $62,000 | $65,770 |
| Colorado | $67,200 | $55,500 | $61,090 |
| Oregon | $63,900 | $52,000 | $56,550 |
| Nevada | $61,500 | $51,000 | $59,710 |
South
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $66,800 | $55,000 | $64,850 |
| Maryland | $69,750 | $58,000 | $60,650 |
| Texas | $62,800 | $52,000 | $67,530 |
| Georgia | $61,200 | $50,500 | $65,110 |
| Florida | $59,000 | $48,500 | $59,000 |
Midwest
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $65,200 | $54,000 | $66,530 |
| Illinois | $64,800 | $53,000 | $66,800 |
| Wisconsin | $60,800 | $51,000 | $64,680 |
| Michigan | $60,500 | $50,000 | $63,680 |
| Ohio | $59,800 | $49,000 | $64,300 |
Salary Plus State Tax Considerations
No State Income Tax States
| State | Mean Salary | CoL Adjusted | Tax Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $62,800 | $67,530 | +$3,000-$5,000 |
| Washington | $72,350 | $65,770 | +$4,000-$6,000 |
| Florida | $59,000 | $59,000 | +$2,500-$4,000 |
| Tennessee | $58,200 | $63,960 | +$2,500-$4,000 |
| Nevada | $61,500 | $59,710 | +$2,500-$4,500 |
| Wyoming | $56,000 | $56,000 | +$2,000-$3,500 |
| Alaska | $68,500 | $60,620 | +$3,500-$5,500 |
| South Dakota | $55,000 | $59,780 | +$2,000-$3,500 |
| New Hampshire | $66,500 | $62,740 | +$3,000-$5,000* |
*NH taxes interest/dividends income only
High State Tax States
| State | Mean Salary | State Tax Rate | Effective Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $73,220 | 9.3% (at $60K) | -$4,500-$7,000 |
| New York | $74,870 | 6.85% (+NYC) | -$4,000-$6,500 |
| New Jersey | $70,800 | 6.37% | -$3,500-$5,000 |
| Oregon | $63,900 | 9% | -$4,000-$5,500 |
| Minnesota | $65,200 | 7.85% | -$3,500-$5,000 |
How to Use This Data
Comparing job offers across states:
- Look at salary AND cost of living index
- Factor in state income tax (0-13%+ difference)
- Consider career growth opportunities
- Account for specific city costs (state averages can hide city variation)
Example: Job A: $70,000 in California (CoL: 139) Job B: $58,000 in Texas (CoL: 93, no state tax)
Job A adjusted: $70,000 ÷ 1.39 = $50,360 Job B adjusted: $58,000 ÷ 0.93 = $62,365
Job B is significantly better despite $12K lower nominal salary.
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