The national average salary in the US is $63,795 in 2026. The median — the midpoint where half of workers earn more and half earn less — is $56,420. Massachusetts ranks highest at $76,600, while Mississippi ranks lowest at $52,000. But the headline number only tells part of the story: when you adjust for cost of living, the salary rankings shift dramatically.
For role-by-role compensation benchmarking and career income strategy, see the Profession Salary Guides hub.
For conversion formulas, overtime scenarios, and annual-pay planning, see the Hourly to Annual hub.
Average Salary by State (Ranked)
The table below shows the mean salary, median salary, cost-of-living (CoL) index, and CoL-adjusted salary for all 50 states. The CoL index uses 100 as the national baseline — a score of 110 means the state is 10% more expensive than average.
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | Median Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $76,600 | $65,000 | 118 | $64,915 |
| 2 | New York | $74,870 | $61,000 | 123 | $60,870 |
| 3 | California | $73,220 | $60,000 | 139 | $52,680 |
| 4 | Washington | $72,350 | $62,000 | 110 | $65,770 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $71,200 | $60,000 | 111 | $64,140 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $70,800 | $59,500 | 112 | $63,210 |
| 7 | Maryland | $69,750 | $58,000 | 115 | $60,650 |
| 8 | Alaska | $68,500 | $59,000 | 113 | $60,620 |
| 9 | Colorado | $67,200 | $55,500 | 110 | $61,090 |
| 10 | Virginia | $66,800 | $55,000 | 103 | $64,850 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $66,500 | $56,000 | 106 | $62,740 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $65,200 | $54,000 | 98 | $66,530 |
| 13 | Illinois | $64,800 | $53,000 | 97 | $66,800 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $64,200 | $52,500 | 108 | $59,440 |
| 15 | Oregon | $63,900 | $52,000 | 113 | $56,550 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $63,700 | $54,000 | 193 | $33,010 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $63,500 | $52,500 | 94 | $67,550 |
| 18 | Delaware | $63,200 | $52,000 | 103 | $61,360 |
| 19 | Texas | $62,800 | $52,000 | 93 | $67,530 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $62,500 | $52,500 | 94 | $66,490 |
| — | National Average | $63,795 | $56,420 | 100 | — |
| 21 | Arizona | $62,000 | $51,000 | 94 | $65,960 |
| 22 | Utah | $61,800 | $51,500 | 101 | $61,190 |
| 23 | Nevada | $61,500 | $51,000 | 103 | $59,710 |
| 24 | Georgia | $61,200 | $50,500 | 94 | $65,110 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $60,800 | $51,000 | 94 | $64,680 |
| 26 | Michigan | $60,500 | $50,000 | 95 | $63,680 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $60,200 | $49,500 | 93 | $64,730 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $60,000 | $50,000 | 92 | $65,220 |
| 29 | Ohio | $59,800 | $49,000 | 93 | $64,300 |
| 30 | Iowa | $59,500 | $49,500 | 90 | $66,110 |
| 31 | Kansas | $59,200 | $49,000 | 89 | $66,520 |
| 32 | Florida | $59,000 | $48,500 | 100 | $59,000 |
| 33 | Indiana | $58,800 | $48,500 | 90 | $65,330 |
| 34 | Missouri | $58,500 | $48,000 | 89 | $65,730 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $58,200 | $47,500 | 91 | $63,960 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $57,800 | $47,000 | 95 | $60,840 |
| 37 | Maine | $57,500 | $48,000 | 112 | $51,340 |
| 38 | Vermont | $57,200 | $48,500 | 114 | $50,180 |
| 39 | Montana | $57,000 | $47,500 | 100 | $57,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $56,500 | $46,500 | 90 | $62,780 |
| 41 | Idaho | $56,200 | $46,000 | 97 | $57,940 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $56,000 | $48,000 | 100 | $56,000 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $55,800 | $46,000 | 88 | $63,410 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $55,500 | $45,500 | 93 | $59,680 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $55,200 | $45,000 | 94 | $58,720 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $55,000 | $46,500 | 92 | $59,780 |
| 47 | Alabama | $54,800 | $45,000 | 92 | $59,570 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $54,000 | $44,000 | 89 | $60,670 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $53,500 | $44,500 | 85 | $62,940 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $52,000 | $43,000 | 88 | $59,090 |
Why mean vs. median matters: The national mean salary ($63,795) is roughly $7,300 higher than the median ($56,420). That gap exists because a relatively small share of workers — particularly in finance, technology, and law — earn well above six figures, pulling the mean up. For most people, the median is the more useful benchmark.
Best States for Salary (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
A high nominal salary means little if housing, groceries, and taxes consume most of it. These ten states deliver the strongest purchasing power after adjusting for cost of living.
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $63,500 | 94 | $67,550 |
| 2 | Texas | $62,800 | 93 | $67,530 |
| 3 | Illinois | $64,800 | 97 | $66,800 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $65,200 | 98 | $66,530 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $62,500 | 94 | $66,490 |
| 6 | Kansas | $59,200 | 89 | $66,520 |
| 7 | Iowa | $59,500 | 90 | $66,110 |
| 8 | Washington | $72,350 | 110 | $65,770 |
| 9 | Missouri | $58,500 | 89 | $65,730 |
| 10 | Indiana | $58,800 | 90 | $65,330 |
Pennsylvania and Texas top this list for different reasons. Pennsylvania combines a below-average cost of living with a solid professional salary base driven by healthcare, finance, and education sectors in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Texas benefits from no state income tax and low housing costs outside of Austin and Dallas, making its adjusted salary one of the best in the country despite a mid-table nominal figure.
Worst States for Salary (Cost-of-Living Adjusted)
| Rank | State | Mean Salary | CoL Index | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $63,700 | 193 | $33,010 |
| 2 | Vermont | $57,200 | 114 | $50,180 |
| 3 | Maine | $57,500 | 112 | $51,340 |
| 4 | California | $73,220 | 139 | $52,680 |
| 5 | Oregon | $63,900 | 113 | $56,550 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $56,000 | 100 | $56,000 |
| 7 | Idaho | $56,200 | 97 | $57,940 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $55,200 | 94 | $58,720 |
| 9 | Florida | $59,000 | 100 | $59,000 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $52,000 | 88 | $59,090 |
Hawaii is an outlier. Despite a mean salary of $63,700 — close to the national average — its extreme cost of living (CoL index of 193, nearly twice the national baseline) leaves workers with an adjusted purchasing power of just $33,010. Housing, food, and energy all cost dramatically more because most goods must be shipped to the islands. California tells a similar story: a $73,220 headline salary shrinks to $52,680 in real purchasing power.
Average Salary by Region
Regional salary patterns reflect concentrations of specific industries, union activity, and the relative power of state economies.
Northeast
The Northeast is home to the highest nominal salaries in the country, driven by financial services in New York and Connecticut, biotechnology and higher education in Massachusetts, and government and defence in Maryland and Virginia.
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $76,600 | $65,000 | $64,915 |
| New York | $74,870 | $61,000 | $60,870 |
| Connecticut | $71,200 | $60,000 | $64,140 |
| New Jersey | $70,800 | $59,500 | $63,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,500 | $52,500 | $67,550 |
Pennsylvania stands apart: despite ranking fifth in the region on nominal salary, it delivers the best purchasing power of any Northeastern state — and any state in the country — because its cost of living sits 6% below the national average.
West
The West spans a wide range of salary environments, from California’s high-pay, high-cost tech corridor to Montana’s modest salaries and flat cost of living.
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $73,220 | $60,000 | $52,680 |
| Washington | $72,350 | $62,000 | $65,770 |
| Colorado | $67,200 | $55,500 | $61,090 |
| Oregon | $63,900 | $52,000 | $56,550 |
| Nevada | $61,500 | $51,000 | $59,710 |
Washington — home to Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing — earns close to California’s headline salary but with a significantly lower cost of living and no state income tax. That combination makes it one of the best states in the West for real compensation.
South
The South offers some of the most competitive purchasing power in the country. Lower housing costs, reduced regulation, and no income tax in several states create strong real-dollar value for workers across a range of income levels.
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $66,800 | $55,000 | $64,850 |
| Maryland | $69,750 | $58,000 | $60,650 |
| Texas | $62,800 | $52,000 | $67,530 |
| Georgia | $61,200 | $50,500 | $65,110 |
| Florida | $59,000 | $48,500 | $59,000 |
Texas is the standout. Its no-income-tax policy combined with a broad, diversified economy — energy, technology, healthcare, logistics — produces a cost-of-living adjusted salary second only to Pennsylvania nationally.
Midwest
The Midwest is consistently underrated as a salary destination. Several states deliver adjusted salaries in the $64,000–$67,000 range despite nominal pay that looks modest by coastal standards.
| State | Mean | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $65,200 | $54,000 | $66,530 |
| Illinois | $64,800 | $53,000 | $66,800 |
| Wisconsin | $60,800 | $51,000 | $64,680 |
| Michigan | $60,500 | $50,000 | $63,680 |
| Ohio | $59,800 | $49,000 | $64,300 |
Illinois and Minnesota rank among the top five states nationally for adjusted salary. Chicago and Minneapolis are major professional centres with lower housing costs than comparable coastal cities — a combination that produces genuine financial advantage for residents.
Salary Plus State Tax Considerations
Your headline salary and cost-of-living adjusted income are only two pieces of the picture. State income tax is the third — and it can add or subtract thousands of dollars from your take-home pay every year.
No State Income Tax States
Nine states levy no tax on personal wage income. For a worker earning the national average of $63,795, the absence of state income tax typically adds $2,000–$6,000 in annual take-home pay relative to a high-tax state.
| State | Mean Salary | CoL Adjusted | Estimated Tax Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $62,800 | $67,530 | +$3,000–$5,000 |
| Washington | $72,350 | $65,770 | +$4,000–$6,000 |
| Florida | $59,000 | $59,000 | +$2,500–$4,000 |
| Tennessee | $58,200 | $63,960 | +$2,500–$4,000 |
| Nevada | $61,500 | $59,710 | +$2,500–$4,500 |
| Wyoming | $56,000 | $56,000 | +$2,000–$3,500 |
| Alaska | $68,500 | $60,620 | +$3,500–$5,500 |
| South Dakota | $55,000 | $59,780 | +$2,000–$3,500 |
| New Hampshire | $66,500 | $62,740 | +$3,000–$5,000* |
*New Hampshire taxes interest and dividend income only — wages are not taxed.
High State Tax States
At the other end of the spectrum, several states impose income tax rates that meaningfully reduce take-home pay for workers at or above the national average salary.
| State | Mean Salary | Top Marginal Rate | Estimated Annual Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $73,220 | 9.3% (at $60K) | -$4,500–$7,000 |
| New York | $74,870 | 6.85% (+NYC surcharge) | -$4,000–$6,500 |
| New Jersey | $70,800 | 6.37% | -$3,500–$5,000 |
| Oregon | $63,900 | 9% | -$4,000–$5,500 |
| Minnesota | $65,200 | 7.85% | -$3,500–$5,000 |
Note that high state income taxes do not automatically make a state a poor choice. New York and California still attract workers because of the concentration of high-paying employers and career opportunities. The tax is a cost worth factoring in — not an automatic disqualifier.
How to Compare Job Offers Across States
When evaluating a salary offer in an unfamiliar state, nominal pay is the wrong starting point. Work through these four steps instead:
- Adjust for cost of living. Divide the salary by the state’s CoL index (as a decimal). A $70,000 offer in California (index 1.39) is equivalent to $50,360 in purchasing power.
- Account for state income tax. Use our income tax calculator to estimate your actual take-home pay in each state.
- Check city-level variation. State averages hide significant differences. San Francisco’s cost of living is far higher than Sacramento’s — both are in California.
- Consider career trajectory. A lower salary in a high-growth city or industry can outperform a higher salary in a stagnant market over a five-year horizon.
Worked example — Texas vs. California:
- Job A: $70,000 in California (CoL index 139, state income tax ~6%)
- Job B: $58,000 in Texas (CoL index 93, no state income tax)
| Factor | California | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $70,000 | $58,000 |
| CoL-adjusted purchasing power | $50,360 | $62,365 |
| Estimated state tax saving | — | +$3,500 |
| Effective real value | ~$50,360 | ~$65,865 |
Job B delivers roughly $15,500 more in real purchasing power despite paying $12,000 less on paper. This is why looking beyond the headline salary number matters.
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