Average Salary by State 2026: What Workers Really Earn
Your salary doesn't exist in a vacuum. A $75,000 offer in Austin, Texas lands differently than the same offer in San Francisco — and understanding where your state sits in the national picture is the first step to knowing whether you're being paid fairly.
This guide uses 2026 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to show mean annual wages, median wages, and estimated hourly rates for all 50 US states.
How to Read State Salary Data Without Overreacting
State wage tables are useful, but they are easy to misuse. The most reliable reading order is:
- Start with state averages as a benchmark: this tells you whether your current market sits high, middle, or low relative to the rest of the country.
- Check median before assuming too much from mean: median wages usually give a cleaner read on what a more typical worker earns.
- Add industry and city context last: state-level data is broad. A software role in Seattle and a retail job in eastern Washington do not belong in the same mental benchmark.
Top 10 Highest-Paying States in 2026
The highest-paying states in this table tend to include large coastal labor markets and states with heavy exposure to finance, healthcare, biotech, and technology. That helps explain why Massachusetts, Washington, and Connecticut appear near the top.
| Rank | State | Mean Annual Wage | Median Annual Wage | Est. Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $92,480 | $72,160 | $44.46 |
| 2 | Washington | $88,640 | $68,440 | $42.62 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $84,930 | $65,210 | $40.83 |
| 4 | New York | $83,750 | $62,440 | $40.27 |
| 5 | California | $82,310 | $63,790 | $39.57 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $80,440 | $62,180 | $38.67 |
| 7 | Maryland | $78,930 | $61,470 | $37.95 |
| 8 | Colorado | $76,820 | $60,340 | $36.93 |
| 9 | Virginia | $76,110 | $59,820 | $36.59 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $74,960 | $58,940 | $36.04 |
Bottom 10 States by Average Salary
Many of the lower-wage states in this table are in the South and parts of the Midwest. That does not automatically make them worse places to work or live. In several cases, lower housing and everyday costs can narrow the real-world gap between headline wages.
| Rank | State | Mean Annual Wage | Median Annual Wage | Est. Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Idaho | $52,640 | $43,180 | $25.31 |
| 42 | Montana | $51,870 | $42,690 | $24.94 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $51,240 | $41,830 | $24.63 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $50,880 | $41,340 | $24.46 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $50,430 | $40,960 | $24.24 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $50,120 | $40,610 | $24.10 |
| 47 | Alabama | $49,670 | $40,230 | $23.88 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $47,320 | $38,840 | $22.75 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $47,090 | $38,610 | $22.64 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $44,680 | $36,920 | $21.48 |
All 50 States — Complete Average Salary Data 2026
| State | Mean Annual | Median Annual | Est. Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,670 | $40,230 | $23.88 |
| Alaska | $66,910 | $54,480 | $32.17 |
| Arizona | $62,840 | $50,620 | $30.21 |
| Arkansas | $47,090 | $38,610 | $22.64 |
| California | $82,310 | $63,790 | $39.57 |
| Colorado | $76,820 | $60,340 | $36.93 |
| Connecticut | $84,930 | $65,210 | $40.83 |
| Delaware | $68,240 | $54,960 | $32.81 |
| Florida | $59,430 | $47,580 | $28.57 |
| Georgia | $63,810 | $51,470 | $30.68 |
| Hawaii | $65,480 | $53,040 | $31.48 |
| Idaho | $52,640 | $43,180 | $25.31 |
| Illinois | $72,390 | $57,840 | $34.80 |
| Indiana | $57,220 | $46,470 | $27.51 |
| Iowa | $56,830 | $46,040 | $27.32 |
| Kansas | $56,440 | $45,780 | $27.13 |
| Kentucky | $53,680 | $43,780 | $25.81 |
| Louisiana | $50,430 | $40,960 | $24.24 |
| Maine | $57,960 | $47,150 | $27.87 |
| Maryland | $78,930 | $61,470 | $37.95 |
| Massachusetts | $92,480 | $72,160 | $44.46 |
| Michigan | $60,840 | $49,360 | $29.25 |
| Minnesota | $74,960 | $58,940 | $36.04 |
| Mississippi | $44,680 | $36,920 | $21.48 |
| Missouri | $57,640 | $46,820 | $27.71 |
| Montana | $51,870 | $42,690 | $24.94 |
| Nebraska | $57,030 | $46,230 | $27.42 |
| Nevada | $59,820 | $48,130 | $28.76 |
| New Hampshire | $66,380 | $53,940 | $31.92 |
| New Jersey | $80,440 | $62,180 | $38.67 |
| New Mexico | $50,120 | $40,610 | $24.10 |
| New York | $83,750 | $62,440 | $40.27 |
| North Carolina | $60,270 | $48,790 | $28.98 |
| North Dakota | $56,190 | $45,620 | $27.02 |
| Ohio | $59,680 | $48,310 | $28.69 |
| Oklahoma | $50,880 | $41,340 | $24.46 |
| Oregon | $67,340 | $54,610 | $32.38 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,920 | $53,950 | $32.17 |
| Rhode Island | $68,730 | $55,340 | $33.05 |
| South Carolina | $54,390 | $44,180 | $26.15 |
| South Dakota | $51,240 | $41,830 | $24.63 |
| Tennessee | $55,810 | $45,320 | $26.83 |
| Texas | $64,730 | $52,180 | $31.12 |
| Utah | $63,480 | $51,210 | $30.52 |
| Vermont | $59,170 | $48,020 | $28.45 |
| Virginia | $76,110 | $59,820 | $36.59 |
| Washington | $88,640 | $68,440 | $42.62 |
| West Virginia | $47,320 | $38,840 | $22.75 |
| Wisconsin | $59,940 | $48,620 | $28.82 |
| Wyoming | $57,470 | $46,610 | $27.63 |
High Wage ≠ High Purchasing Power
The most important context missing from raw salary data is cost of living. California's average $82,310 wage sounds impressive until you factor in that San Francisco median rent exceeds $3,200/month — roughly $38,400/year before food, transport, or taxes.
Compare that to, say, Kansas ($56,440 average wage, median rent ~$1,050/month). The wage gap is real, but the gap in discretionary income after essentials is much smaller.
The Salary Heatmap shows real purchasing power for your salary across all 50 states — not just the nominal figure.
How to Use This Data
These figures work best as a benchmark, not as a prediction. Industry, experience, education, and role level still shape actual offers. Use the averages to:
- Benchmark your current pay against state-level wage context before assuming you are above or below market
- Evaluate relocation offers with cost-of-living context, especially when a nominal raise looks smaller after housing and taxes
- Prepare for salary discussions with market references instead of relying only on anecdotal ranges
- Understand why remote-work pay policies may vary by labor market and local cost structure
What State Data Cannot Tell You
This guide is broad by design. It cannot answer the narrower questions that usually matter most in a real job decision:
- It does not price your occupation precisely: engineers, nurses, teachers, and warehouse workers live inside very different wage distributions in the same state.
- It does not solve city-level housing pressure: state averages can hide a major difference between one expensive metro and the rest of the state.
- It does not convert into take-home pay: taxes, payroll deductions, and benefits still need to be modeled separately.
Average Salary by Industry (All States, 2026)
State averages mask enormous variation by industry. These are the highest- and lowest-paying industries nationally — understanding your industry benchmark matters as much as your state benchmark:
| Industry | Avg Annual Wage | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Securities & Financial Services | ~$165,000 | $75K–$300K+ |
| Software & Technology | ~$138,000 | $85K–$250K |
| Healthcare (Physicians) | ~$220,000 | $150K–$400K+ |
| Legal Services | ~$112,000 | $55K–$250K |
| Engineering | ~$105,000 | $65K–$180K |
| Education (K-12) | ~$65,000 | $42K–$95K |
| Retail Trade | ~$42,000 | $28K–$75K |
| Food Services & Restaurants | ~$32,000 | $25K–$55K |
Methodology & Data Sources
All wage data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys over 1.1 million business establishments. Mean annual wages are calculated across all occupations combined. Hourly rates assume a standard 2,080-hour work year. Data reflects the most recent BLS release adjusted for 2026 estimates.
Average Salary by State Questions
What is the average salary in the United States in 2026?
The national mean annual wage in this guide is about $65,470, while the median is around $59,228. The mean is useful for broad market context, but the median often gives a cleaner read on what a typical worker earns.
Which state has the highest average salary?
In this table, Massachusetts ranks highest at about $92,480 in mean annual wage. Washington and New York are also near the top. That is useful for wage benchmarking, but it does not answer the separate question of affordability.
Does a higher state average salary mean better quality of life?
Not always. High-pay states often come with higher housing, tax, and transportation costs. A lower headline wage can still leave more room in a monthly budget if the local cost base is lower.
How does remote work affect state salary averages?
Remote work has weakened the link between where a worker lives and where an employer is based, but state wage datasets still mostly reflect worker location. Over time, relocation patterns can shift state averages, especially in states attracting remote professionals.