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Mapped: Median Salary by U.S. State
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Key Takeaways
- The District of Columbia has the highest median full-time salary at $102,970, far above every state, while Mississippi is lowest at $50,120.
- The South generally lags behind the U.S. overall median full-time salary of $61,702, with Louisiana ($52,959), Alabama ($53,459), and Arkansas ($50,899) clustered near the bottom.
Across the United States, median full-time salaries vary widely depending on the state. From booming coastal economies to regions with lower costs of living, geographic differences play a major role in shaping income levels.
This visualization maps out the median full-time salary by state in 2024 using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the latest data available as of September 2025.
Median Full-Time Salary Across the U.S. in 2024
The U.S. overall median full-time salary sits at approximately $61,702 per year, though the gap between the highest and lowest earning states exceeds $50,000.
The data table below shows the median earnings of the full-time, year-round civilian workforce aged 16 and older in every U.S. state:
| Rank | State / District | Median full-time salary (civilians, aged 16+) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,970 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $79,113 |
| 3 | Washington | $76,323 |
| 4 | Maryland | $74,982 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $74,164 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $72,834 |
| 7 | Colorado | $72,028 |
| 8 | New York | $70,254 |
| 9 | California | $70,031 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $69,275 |
| 11 | Alaska | $69,063 |
| 12 | Virginia | $67,309 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $67,142 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $66,932 |
| 15 | Illinois | $65,513 |
| 16 | Oregon | $65,360 |
| 17 | Vermont | $64,971 |
| 18 | Utah | $62,249 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $61,973 |
| 20 | Delaware | $61,651 |
| 21 | Maine | $60,948 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $60,836 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $60,803 |
| 24 | Michigan | $60,613 |
| 25 | Arizona | $60,459 |
| 26 | Ohio | $60,300 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $60,170 |
| 28 | Georgia | $59,240 |
| 29 | Texas | $58,650 |
| 30 | Idaho | $58,476 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $57,727 |
| 32 | Iowa | $57,716 |
| 33 | Kansas | $57,418 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $57,343 |
| 35 | Indiana | $57,303 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $56,723 |
| 37 | Missouri | $56,210 |
| 38 | Montana | $55,992 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $55,708 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $55,325 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $55,313 |
| 42 | Nevada | $54,800 |
| 43 | Florida | $54,311 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $54,000 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $53,824 |
| 46 | Alabama | $53,459 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $52,959 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $52,080 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $51,676 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,899 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $50,120 |
| n/a | United States | $61,702 |
At the very top is the District of Columbia, where the median full-time salary reaches $102,970—well above any state.
Massachusetts ($79,113), Washington ($76,323), Maryland ($74,982), and New Jersey ($74,164) round out the top five. These states benefit from strong tech, finance, and government sectors that boost wages significantly above the national level.
While it’s primarily coastal states that have a median full-time salary above $70,000, Colorado is the notable exception of a landlocked state with higher median earnings at $72,028.
States with the Lowest Median Full-Time Salary in 2024
At the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi ranks last with a median full-time salary of $50,120.
Other low-earning states include Arkansas ($50,899), Oklahoma ($51,676), West Virginia ($52,080), and Louisiana ($52,959). Many of these states are concentrated in the South, reflecting broader regional wage gaps tied to industry mix, job availability, and cost of living.
A clear divide emerges between coastal and interior states. High salaries cluster in the Northeast and on the West Coast, while much of the South lags behind the U.S. median of $61,702.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about earnings in the U.S., check out this graphic which breaks down how education affects earnings in every single state on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.