D.C. Has (By Far) The Highest Median Salary Across The US; Southern States Lowest
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, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, 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.
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.