SalariesMedian pay by state, United States, May 2025
The median yearly and hourly pay of all employees in each state, the District of Columbia and three territories, highest first. Open a state for its occupations.
| No. | State | Median a year | Median an hour | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $91,540 | $44.01 | 701,920 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $63,590 | $30.57 | 3,637,650 |
| 3 | Washington | $62,990 | $30.28 | 3,550,970 |
| 4 | Alaska | $61,000 | $29.33 | 325,570 |
| 5 | Colorado | $59,800 | $28.75 | 2,873,900 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $59,690 | $28.70 | 1,696,170 |
| 7 | New York | $59,670 | $28.69 | 9,688,000 |
| 8 | Maryland | $59,510 | $28.61 | 2,763,030 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $58,570 | $28.16 | 4,285,720 |
| 10 | California | $58,240 | $28.00 | 18,213,700 |
| 11 | Oregon | $57,000 | $27.40 | 1,967,130 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $56,920 | $27.36 | 2,949,820 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $56,780 | $27.30 | 501,340 |
| 14 | Vermont | $56,390 | $27.11 | 303,890 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $56,320 | $27.08 | 627,530 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $55,880 | $26.87 | 683,290 |
| 17 | Virginia | $55,690 | $26.78 | 4,109,320 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $52,480 | $25.23 | 429,430 |
| 19 | Delaware | $52,190 | $25.09 | 484,790 |
| 20 | Illinois | $51,960 | $24.98 | 6,098,130 |
| 21 | Maine | $51,430 | $24.73 | 640,610 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $50,270 | $24.17 | 2,941,540 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $50,270 | $24.17 | 280,740 |
| 24 | Utah | $50,110 | $24.09 | 1,735,590 |
| 25 | Arizona | $50,060 | $24.07 | 3,239,430 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $49,690 | $23.89 | 6,064,600 |
| 27 | Ohio | $49,380 | $23.74 | 5,550,180 |
| 28 | Michigan | $49,270 | $23.69 | 4,403,730 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $48,980 | $23.55 | 1,024,370 |
| 30 | Montana | $48,740 | $23.43 | 511,580 |
| 31 | Texas | $48,620 | $23.38 | 14,071,160 |
| 32 | Iowa | $48,540 | $23.34 | 1,559,240 |
| 33 | Georgia | $48,170 | $23.16 | 4,889,170 |
| 34 | Kansas | $48,010 | $23.08 | 1,437,520 |
| 35 | Idaho | $47,970 | $23.06 | 857,440 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $47,970 | $23.06 | 4,941,820 |
| 37 | Florida | $47,880 | $23.02 | 9,929,860 |
| 38 | Indiana | $47,860 | $23.01 | 3,201,220 |
| 39 | Missouri | $47,800 | $22.98 | 2,936,050 |
| 40 | Nevada | $47,660 | $22.91 | 1,551,540 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $47,380 | $22.78 | 3,278,760 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $47,210 | $22.70 | 870,970 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $47,080 | $22.63 | 457,380 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $46,920 | $22.56 | 2,000,360 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $46,490 | $22.35 | 2,305,080 |
| 46 | Alabama | $45,670 | $21.96 | 2,113,660 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $45,600 | $21.92 | 1,707,680 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $45,520 | $21.89 | 1,934,900 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $45,300 | $21.78 | 701,610 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $43,630 | $20.98 | 1,303,630 |
| 51 | Virgin Islands | $42,870 | $20.61 | 32,090 |
| 52 | Mississippi | $40,120 | $19.29 | 1,163,030 |
| 53 | Guam | $36,650 | $17.62 | 66,600 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $28,680 | $13.79 | 938,710 |
The national median was $50,980 a year ($24.51 an hour). A higher median often goes with a higher cost of living, so these figures alone do not show where a pay packet goes furthest.
What the ranking shows
The table covers 54 areas: the states, the District of Columbia and the territories for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes figures. The highest medians are in District of Columbia ($91,540), Massachusetts ($63,590) and Washington ($62,990). The lowest are in Puerto Rico ($28,680), Guam ($36,650) and Mississippi ($40,120). The area in the middle of the ranking is Michigan, at $49,270 a year.
21 areas have a median above the national figure of $50,980 and 33 are at or below it. The national figure is not the average of the states: it leans towards the states with the most jobs, and California, Texas, Florida and New York alone hold 33% of all jobs counted.
How to read a state's median
A state's median depends on two things: what each kind of work pays there, and which kinds of work the state has most of. A state with many jobs in well-paid fields has a high median even if each single occupation pays about the national rate. So to compare two states for one job, open the occupation itself: its page lists the median in every state. Each state page also shows which occupations pay more or less there than nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.