Whether you’re just starting your career or are several decades in, knowing the average salary in your state can help you understand your earning potential. Empower research shows 34% of Americans are planning to seek a raise in the year ahead, and Millennials are particularly proactive – nearly 2 in 5 are ready to ask for a salary hike.

How does your salary stack up to other earners? Let’s find out what the average income looks like in your state.

What is the average salary in the U.S.?

The average salary in the U.S. is $65,470 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.¹ Average salaries span a wide range across the nation, from $47,570 in Mississippi to $80,330 in Massachusetts. The top 10% of earners make $121,470 on average.² Meanwhile, the median wage was $59,228 in the first quarter of 2024. That’s 3.5% higher than one year earlier.³

Read more: How to negotiate your salary and career advancement

The state of salaries in the U.S.

Massachusetts tops the lists of states with the highest salaries, but its cost of living is 46% higher than the national average.⁴ On the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi has the lowest average salary at 41% less than Massachusetts, and a cost of living that is 13% lower than the national average.⁵

States with the highest average salaries

1. Massachusetts: $80,330
2. New York: $78,620
3. Washington: $78,130
4. California: $76,960
5. New Jersey: $73,980
6. Connecticut: $73,740
7. Maryland: $73,620
8. Colorado: $71,960
9. Virginia: $70,050
10. Alaska: $69,880

Average and median salaries by state

The table below breaks down both the average and median salary for each state.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics,” May 2023.

Read more: Average net worth by age

Which regions pay the most?

Northeasterners bring home the big bucks, and they have the net worth to match: 5 Northeastern states make the top 10 list for average salaries (Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut), while 6 fall in the top 10 states by net worth, according to Empower Personal Dashboard^TM data.

The West is another generally high-earning region. Washington ranks third among the highest-earning states, and California and Colorado are also among the top ten.

Another factor to consider is that states with the highest average salaries tend to have higher minimum wages, meaning even the lowest-paid workers are being paid more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.⁶  In Washington, it’s $16.28, $16 in California, and $15 in both Massachusetts and New York.

Should you move to make more money?

Given the stark differences in average salaries across different states, it’s natural to wonder whether it’s worth moving to bring in a higher salary. The answer? It depends.

You don't have to move thousands of miles to benefit from "tax cliffs" - or variations in tax rules when you cross a border.  While moving to a different state could increase your income, there are other factors that can impact whether moving miles will make you money.

Here are a few things to consider before packing up and moving on:

• Industry: First, consider the industry you work in, as well as the average earnings for that industry in the states you’re considering.
• Cost of living: States with higher average salaries also tend to have higher costs of living, including more expensive housing. As a result, you may not necessarily end up with more disposable income than you have in your current state. It can be helpful to run the numbers and make a sample budget to see how the numbers stack up.
• Taxes: Many of the states with the highest average salaries also have some of the highest tax burdens.⁷ For example, New York, Connecticut, California, and New Jersey have some of the highest salaries, as well as the highest state and local tax burdens. Meanwhile, many of the states with the lowest average wages also have among the lowest tax burdens, meaning workers there keep a larger portion of their income.

Read more: Move a mile, make a million