Home / Rankings / Average salary by state
Rankings · Work and pay
Average salary by state, May 2025
Wages paid to employees in each state across all occupations, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of about 1.1 million establishments.
Data vintage: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (published 2026), compared with May 2024; price adjustment uses BEA 2024 regional price parities. Last checked 2026-10-27 by The CompareTheData team.
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Jump to sources · Methodology
Key takeaways
- The U.S. mean annual wage was $69,770 in May 2025 and the median $50,980; the mean rose 2.7% from May 2024.
- Highest average salaries among states: Massachusetts ($85,610), Washington ($83,330) and New York ($82,460). D.C. is $111,010.
- Lowest: Mississippi ($50,810), Arkansas ($54,890) and West Virginia ($56,470).
- Adjusted for local prices, the top three are District of Columbia ($101,009), Massachusetts ($80,950) and Washington ($77,869).
- The median is well below the mean in every state ($50,980 vs $69,770 nationally), because high earners pull the average up.
Average annual wage by state chart
Average and median salary by state, ranked
Click a column heading to sort. *Mean wage divided by the state's 2024 regional price parity. Download this table (CSV).
| Rank | State | Mean wage 2025 | Median wage 2025 | Mean 2024 | Change % | Price-adjusted mean* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $111,010 | $91,540 | $109,420 | +1.5% | $101,009 | 701,920 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $85,610 | $63,590 | $83,050 | +3.1% | $80,950 | 3,637,650 |
| 3 | Washington | $83,330 | $62,990 | $81,550 | +2.2% | $77,869 | 3,550,970 |
| 4 | New York | $82,460 | $59,670 | $80,630 | +2.3% | $76,408 | 9,688,000 |
| 5 | California | $80,690 | $58,240 | $79,900 | +1.0% | $72,878 | 18,213,700 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $78,040 | $58,570 | $76,320 | +2.3% | $71,725 | 4,285,720 |
| 7 | Maryland | $77,580 | $59,510 | $76,130 | +1.9% | $73,915 | 2,763,030 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $77,420 | $59,690 | $76,050 | +1.8% | $74,723 | 1,696,170 |
| 9 | Colorado | $77,190 | $59,800 | $75,560 | +2.2% | $74,904 | 2,873,900 |
| 10 | Alaska | $74,720 | $61,000 | $72,810 | +2.6% | $72,998 | 325,570 |
| 11 | Virginia | $74,040 | $55,690 | $72,060 | +2.7% | $73,232 | 4,109,320 |
| 12 | Oregon | $72,460 | $57,000 | $70,290 | +3.1% | $70,104 | 1,967,130 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $71,900 | $56,780 | $69,270 | +3.8% | $70,297 | 501,340 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $71,360 | $55,880 | $68,800 | +3.7% | $68,507 | 683,290 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $71,160 | $56,920 | $68,880 | +3.3% | $72,155 | 2,949,820 |
| 16 | Illinois | $71,130 | $51,960 | $69,020 | +3.1% | $71,160 | 6,098,130 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $70,270 | $56,320 | $68,280 | +2.9% | $63,910 | 627,530 |
| 18 | Delaware | $69,880 | $52,190 | $67,640 | +3.3% | $70,014 | 484,790 |
| 19 | Vermont | $69,050 | $56,390 | $66,330 | +4.1% | $70,489 | 303,890 |
| 20 | Arizona | $67,620 | $50,060 | $65,740 | +2.9% | $67,165 | 3,239,430 |
| 21 | Utah | $66,290 | $50,110 | $63,960 | +3.6% | $67,052 | 1,735,590 |
| 22 | Georgia | $65,920 | $48,170 | $64,210 | +2.7% | $68,458 | 4,889,170 |
| 23 | Maine | $65,780 | $51,430 | $63,760 | +3.2% | $67,779 | 640,610 |
| 24 | Texas | $65,750 | $48,620 | $63,660 | +3.3% | $67,744 | 14,071,160 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $65,730 | $49,690 | $63,690 | +3.2% | $67,366 | 6,064,600 |
| 26 | Michigan | $64,920 | $49,270 | $63,120 | +2.9% | $67,472 | 4,403,730 |
| 27 | Florida | $64,670 | $47,880 | $62,990 | +2.7% | $62,535 | 9,929,860 |
| 28 | Ohio | $64,390 | $49,380 | $62,280 | +3.4% | $69,405 | 5,550,180 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $64,290 | $47,970 | $62,440 | +3.0% | $68,157 | 4,941,820 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $64,270 | $50,270 | $61,690 | +4.2% | $68,303 | 2,941,540 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $64,050 | $52,480 | $61,810 | +3.6% | $71,999 | 429,430 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,400 | $48,980 | $60,230 | +3.6% | $69,254 | 1,024,370 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $62,330 | $47,210 | $60,290 | +3.4% | $67,594 | 870,970 |
| 34 | Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | $59,630 | +4.2% | $68,445 | 2,936,050 |
| 35 | Nevada | $62,050 | $47,660 | $60,310 | +2.9% | $62,063 | 1,551,540 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $61,560 | $50,270 | $60,200 | +2.3% | $66,414 | 280,740 |
| 37 | Idaho | $61,170 | $47,970 | $58,440 | +4.7% | $64,056 | 857,440 |
| 38 | Montana | $60,880 | $48,740 | $58,160 | +4.7% | $64,325 | 511,580 |
| 39 | Indiana | $60,840 | $47,860 | $58,800 | +3.5% | $65,189 | 3,201,220 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $60,800 | $47,380 | $58,700 | +3.6% | $66,180 | 3,278,760 |
| 41 | Kansas | $60,640 | $48,010 | $58,230 | +4.1% | $67,327 | 1,437,520 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,830 | $48,540 | $58,350 | +2.5% | $68,173 | 1,559,240 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $59,280 | $46,490 | $56,990 | +4.0% | $63,233 | 2,305,080 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $58,990 | $46,920 | $56,310 | +4.8% | $65,429 | 2,000,360 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $57,610 | $47,080 | $55,480 | +3.8% | $65,033 | 457,380 |
| 46 | Alabama | $57,500 | $45,670 | $55,350 | +3.9% | $64,735 | 2,113,660 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $56,950 | $45,600 | $54,960 | +3.6% | $64,832 | 1,707,680 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $56,600 | $45,520 | $55,130 | +2.7% | $64,167 | 1,934,900 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $56,470 | $45,300 | $54,940 | +2.8% | $63,097 | 701,610 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $54,890 | $43,630 | $53,070 | +3.4% | $63,138 | 1,303,630 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $50,810 | $40,120 | $49,740 | +2.2% | $58,434 | 1,163,030 |
What changed from May 2024 to May 2025
Mean wages rose in 51 jurisdictions. The biggest gains were in Kentucky (+4.8%), Idaho (+4.7%) and Montana (+4.7%). OEWS estimates combine three years of survey panels, so they change gradually; they are not designed for precise year-to-year comparisons.
How to read these numbers
- OEWS covers wage and salary workers; it excludes the self-employed and owners.
- Wages exclude overtime, bonuses and tips that are not regular, and benefits.
- BLS advises against using OEWS as a time series; differences between years can reflect method and sample changes.
Common questions
What is the average salary in the US?
$69,770 (mean) and $50,980 (median) across all occupations in May 2025.
Which state has the highest average salary?
Massachusetts ($85,610 mean annual wage).
Which state has the lowest average salary?
Mississippi ($50,810).
Is average salary the same as household income?
No. Household income combines all earners and non-wage income. See median household income by state.
Sources
Figures computed by CompareTheData.com from the official files below; the raw downloads are archived with the build. Where D.C. is included it is ranked alongside the states.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 and May 2024. May 2025 estimates, downloaded Oct 27, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, SARPP regional price parities by state. 2024 data, file dated Feb 11, 2026.