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Ranked: How Median Salaries are Shifting by U.S. State
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Key Takeaways
- The American Community Survey (ACS) from the U.S. Census Bureau collects authoritative data each year from 3.5 million households.
- According to the most recent data, released in late 2025 and early 2026, median salaries rose in almost every state in 2024.
- When compared against inflation, six states failed to keep pace with rising prices. Meanwhile, Rhode Island saw the only negative change in salaries between the years.
- High-income coastal states continue to dominate the rankings, while Southern states remain clustered at the bottom.
Salaries across the United States continued to rise in 2024, but where you live still plays a major role in how much you earn.
While national wage growth has remained positive, the gap between the highest- and lowest-paying states remains wide. Regional economic structure, industry concentration, and cost of living all contribute to these differences.
This visualization ranks U.S. states by median income and shows how their positions changed from 2023 to 2024. The data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and reflects median earnings for full-time, year-round civilian workers aged 16 and over.
While ACS earnings are adjusted for inflation within each survey year, the figures are not adjusted across years—meaning changes reflect nominal shifts rather than real wage growth.
The Highest-Paying States Remain on Top
The District of Columbia continues to lead the nation, with median income rising from $108,210 in 2023 to $109,707 in 2024.
| 2024 Rank | State or District | Median Income (2023) | Median Income (2024) | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $108,210 | $109,707 | $1,497 | 1.4% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $99,858 | $104,828 | $4,970 | 5.0% |
| 3 | New Jersey | $99,781 | $104,294 | $4,513 | 4.5% |
| 4 | Maryland | $98,678 | $102,905 | $4,227 | 4.3% |
| 5 | Hawaii | $95,322 | $100,745 | $5,423 | 5.7% |
| 6 | California | $95,521 | $100,149 | $4,628 | 4.8% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $96,838 | $99,782 | $2,944 | 3.0% |
| 8 | Washington | $94,605 | $99,389 | $4,784 | 5.1% |
| 9 | Colorado | $92,911 | $97,113 | $4,202 | 4.5% |
| 10 | Utah | $93,421 | $96,658 | $3,237 | 3.5% |
| 11 | Connecticut | $91,665 | $96,049 | $4,384 | 4.8% |
| 12 | Alaska | $86,631 | $95,665 | $9,034 | 10.4% |
| 13 | Virginia | $89,931 | $92,090 | $2,159 | 2.4% |
| 14 | Delaware | $81,361 | $87,534 | $6,173 | 7.6% |
| 15 | Minnesota | $85,086 | $87,117 | $2,031 | 2.4% |
| 16 | New York | $82,095 | $85,820 | $3,725 | 4.5% |
| 17 | Oregon | $80,160 | $85,220 | $5,060 | 6.3% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $84,972 | $83,504 | -$1,468 | -1.7% |
| 19 | Illinois | $80,306 | $83,211 | $2,905 | 3.6% |
| 20 | Vermont | $81,211 | $82,730 | $1,519 | 1.9% |
| 21 | Arizona | $77,315 | $81,486 | $4,171 | 5.4% |
| 22 | Idaho | $74,942 | $81,166 | $6,224 | 8.3% |
| 23 | Nevada | $76,364 | $81,134 | $4,770 | 6.2% |
| 24 | Georgia | $74,632 | $79,991 | $5,359 | 7.2% |
| 25 | Texas | $75,780 | $79,721 | $3,941 | 5.2% |
| 26 | North Dakota | $76,525 | $77,871 | $1,346 | 1.8% |
| 27 | Florida | $73,311 | $77,735 | $4,424 | 6.0% |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $73,824 | $77,545 | $3,721 | 5.0% |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $74,631 | $77,488 | $2,857 | 3.8% |
| 30 | South Dakota | $71,810 | $76,881 | $5,071 | 7.1% |
| 31 | Maine | $73,733 | $76,442 | $2,709 | 3.7% |
| 32 | Nebraska | $74,590 | $76,376 | $1,786 | 2.4% |
| 33 | Wyoming | $72,415 | $75,532 | $3,117 | 4.3% |
| 34 | Kansas | $70,333 | $75,514 | $5,181 | 7.4% |
| 35 | Iowa | $71,433 | $75,501 | $4,068 | 5.7% |
| 36 | Montana | $70,804 | $75,340 | $4,536 | 6.4% |
| 37 | North Carolina | $70,804 | $73,958 | $3,154 | 4.5% |
| 38 | Michigan | $69,183 | $72,389 | $3,206 | 4.6% |
| 39 | South Carolina | $67,804 | $72,350 | $4,546 | 6.7% |
| 40 | Ohio | $67,769 | $72,212 | $4,443 | 6.6% |
| 41 | Tennessee | $67,631 | $71,997 | $4,366 | 6.5% |
| 42 | Indiana | $69,477 | $71,959 | $2,482 | 3.6% |
| 43 | Missouri | $68,545 | $71,589 | $3,044 | 4.4% |
| 44 | New Mexico | $62,268 | $67,816 | $5,548 | 8.9% |
| 45 | Alabama | $62,212 | $66,659 | $4,447 | 7.1% |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $62,138 | $66,148 | $4,010 | 6.5% |
| 47 | Kentucky | $61,118 | $64,526 | $3,408 | 5.6% |
| 48 | Arkansas | $58,700 | $62,106 | $3,406 | 5.8% |
| 49 | Louisiana | $58,229 | $60,986 | $2,757 | 4.7% |
| 50 | West Virginia | $55,948 | $60,798 | $4,850 | 8.7% |
| 51 | Mississippi | $54,203 | $59,127 | $4,924 | 9.1% |
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland follow closely behind, all exceeding $100,000. These states benefit from high concentrations of government, professional services, healthcare, and technology jobs that tend to command higher wages.
Shifts Within the Top Tier
While most top-ranked states held their positions, there were some notable shifts.
Hawaii climbed into the top five in 2024, overtaking New Hampshire. Colorado also moved ahead of Utah.
At the lower end of the ranking, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas continue to report the lowest median incomes, despite some of the largest year-over-year increases.
Mississippi remains last, with median income rising to just over $59,000 in 2024. Many of these states have economies more heavily weighted toward lower-wage industries and face slower productivity growth.
Which States Failed to Keep Up With Inflation?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose 2.9% in 2024. While the ACS figures shown above reflect nominal changes, comparing them against inflation helps illustrate changes in real purchasing power.
Using this benchmark, most states beat inflation, but a handful posted gains below 2.9% including D.C. (1.4%), North Dakota (1.8%), Vermont (1.9%), Virginia (2.4%), Nebraska (2.4%), and Minnesota (2.4%), which implies slight decreases in real buying power.
Meanwhile, Rhode Island actually saw a decline in nominal median wages, going from $84,972 in 2023 to $83,504 in 2024 (-1.7%).
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