All occupations · May 2025
Average salary by state
The national mean annual wage across all occupations is $69,766. State-level pay varies from $50,810 (Mississippi) to $111,010 (District of Columbia). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
Highest
$111,010
District of Columbia
National mean
$69,766
Across all 50 states + DC
Lowest
$50,810
Mississippi
Ranked
All 50 states + DC
Sorted by mean annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2025
| Rank | State | Mean annual wage | vs national | US workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $111,010 | +59.1% | 701,920 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $85,610 | +22.7% | 3,637,650 |
| 3 | Washington | $83,330 | +19.4% | 3,550,970 |
| 4 | New York | $82,460 | +18.2% | 9,688,000 |
| 5 | California | $80,690 | +15.7% | 18,213,700 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $78,040 | +11.9% | 4,285,720 |
| 7 | Maryland | $77,580 | +11.2% | 2,763,030 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $77,420 | +11.0% | 1,696,170 |
| 9 | Colorado | $77,190 | +10.6% | 2,873,900 |
| 10 | Alaska | $74,720 | +7.1% | 325,570 |
| 11 | Virginia | $74,040 | +6.1% | 4,109,320 |
| 12 | Oregon | $72,460 | +3.9% | 1,967,130 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $71,900 | +3.1% | 501,340 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $71,360 | +2.3% | 683,290 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $71,160 | +2.0% | 2,949,820 |
| 16 | Illinois | $71,130 | +2.0% | 6,098,130 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $70,270 | +0.7% | 627,530 |
| 18 | Delaware | $69,880 | +0.2% | 484,790 |
| 19 | Vermont | $69,050 | -1.0% | 303,890 |
| 20 | Arizona | $67,620 | -3.1% | 3,239,430 |
| 21 | Utah | $66,290 | -5.0% | 1,735,590 |
| 22 | Georgia | $65,920 | -5.5% | 4,889,170 |
| 23 | Maine | $65,780 | -5.7% | 640,610 |
| 24 | Texas | $65,750 | -5.8% | 14,071,160 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $65,730 | -5.8% | 6,064,600 |
| 26 | Michigan | $64,920 | -6.9% | 4,403,730 |
| 27 | Florida | $64,670 | -7.3% | 9,929,860 |
| 28 | Ohio | $64,390 | -7.7% | 5,550,180 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $64,290 | -7.8% | 4,941,820 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $64,270 | -7.9% | 2,941,540 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $64,050 | -8.2% | 429,430 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,400 | -10.6% | 1,024,370 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $62,330 | -10.7% | 870,970 |
| 34 | Missouri | $62,160 | -10.9% | 2,936,050 |
| 35 | Nevada | $62,050 | -11.1% | 1,551,540 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $61,560 | -11.8% | 280,740 |
| 37 | Idaho | $61,170 | -12.3% | 857,440 |
| 38 | Montana | $60,880 | -12.7% | 511,580 |
| 39 | Indiana | $60,840 | -12.8% | 3,201,220 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $60,800 | -12.9% | 3,278,760 |
| 41 | Kansas | $60,640 | -13.1% | 1,437,520 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,830 | -14.2% | 1,559,240 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $59,280 | -15.0% | 2,305,080 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $58,990 | -15.4% | 2,000,360 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $57,610 | -17.4% | 457,380 |
| 46 | Alabama | $57,500 | -17.6% | 2,113,660 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $56,950 | -18.4% | 1,707,680 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $56,600 | -18.9% | 1,934,900 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $56,470 | -19.1% | 701,610 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $54,890 | -21.3% | 1,303,630 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $50,810 | -27.2% | 1,163,030 |
How to read this
Interpreting state wage averages
What this measures. The figures above represent the mean annual wage across all non-farm wage and salary occupations within each state, drawn from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. The OEWS surveys roughly 200,000 establishments per cycle and produces wage estimates for approximately 800 detailed occupations.
Cost of living matters. Higher-wage states (Massachusetts, California, New York, Washington, DC) also have substantially higher costs of living. A $90,000 salary in Mississippi typically buys more housing, food, and services than the same nominal salary in Massachusetts. For purchasing-power comparisons, BEA Regional Price Parities should be applied. They are not factored into the figures above.
Mean vs. median. These figures are arithmetic means (averages). High-earner outliers in finance, technology and executive roles pull means above medians, particularly in states with concentrated tech and finance sectors. For most workers the median is a more representative benchmark; Each occupation page on this site shows its own state medians.
Excluded from these figures. OEWS excludes self-employed workers, owners and partners of unincorporated firms, and household workers. Equity compensation (RSUs, stock options) is also excluded, which understates total compensation for technology and finance workers in states like California, Washington, and New York.
Sources
Where this data comes from
All figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) state cross-industry estimates, May 2025 release. The OEWS program publishes annually each spring; this page rebuilds with each release.