The average annual wage in the United States is approximately $69,900 in 2026 — equivalent to $33.61 per hour, or $5,825 per month. This is the mean wage across all occupations as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey.
Key numbers: Mean annual wage: $69,900. Median annual wage: ~$50,200. Highest state: Massachusetts ($85,100). Lowest state: Mississippi ($48,700). Gender gap: women earn ~83 cents per dollar earned by men.
The mean wage is significantly higher than the median because high earners in finance, technology, and medicine pull the average up. If you want to know where you stand, compare your income using our income percentile calculator.
Average Income by State — All 50 States (2026)
The difference between the highest and lowest-wage states is dramatic: Massachusetts workers earn on average 75% more than Mississippi workers. This reflects differences in industry mix, cost of living, educational attainment, and local job markets.
| State | Mean Annual Wage | Mean Hourly Wage | vs. National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $85,100 | $40.91 | +22% |
| Washington | $84,200 | $40.48 | +20% |
| New York | $82,300 | $39.57 | +18% |
| California | $81,700 | $39.28 | +17% |
| Connecticut | $80,400 | $38.65 | +15% |
| Maryland | $77,200 | $37.12 | +10% |
| New Jersey | $76,900 | $36.97 | +10% |
| Colorado | $76,400 | $36.73 | +9% |
| Virginia | $74,800 | $35.96 | +7% |
| Delaware | $72,600 | $34.90 | +4% |
| Hawaii | $71,900 | $34.57 | +3% |
| Minnesota | $71,500 | $34.38 | +2% |
| Alaska | $70,700 | $33.99 | +1% |
| Illinois | $70,200 | $33.75 | +0.4% |
| Oregon | $69,400 | $33.37 | −1% |
| National average | $69,900 | $33.61 | — |
| Rhode Island | $68,100 | $32.74 | −3% |
| Pennsylvania | $67,900 | $32.64 | −3% |
| New Hampshire | $66,300 | $31.88 | −5% |
| Nevada | $65,700 | $31.59 | −6% |
| Georgia | $64,400 | $30.96 | −8% |
| Michigan | $64,100 | $30.82 | −8% |
| Wisconsin | $63,800 | $30.67 | −9% |
| Texas | $63,600 | $30.58 | −9% |
| Arizona | $63,400 | $30.48 | −9% |
| Ohio | $62,900 | $30.24 | −10% |
| North Carolina | $62,700 | $30.14 | −10% |
| Utah | $62,500 | $30.05 | −11% |
| Florida | $61,800 | $29.71 | −12% |
| Vermont | $61,500 | $29.57 | −12% |
| Kansas | $60,900 | $29.28 | −13% |
| Missouri | $60,300 | $28.99 | −14% |
| Tennessee | $59,800 | $28.75 | −14% |
| Indiana | $59,400 | $28.56 | −15% |
| Nebraska | $59,200 | $28.46 | −15% |
| Iowa | $58,800 | $28.27 | −16% |
| South Carolina | $58,500 | $28.13 | −16% |
| Alabama | $57,900 | $27.84 | −17% |
| Maine | $57,600 | $27.69 | −18% |
| Oklahoma | $57,200 | $27.50 | −18% |
| Louisiana | $57,000 | $27.40 | −18% |
| Kentucky | $56,700 | $27.26 | −19% |
| New Mexico | $56,300 | $27.07 | −19% |
| West Virginia | $55,800 | $26.83 | −20% |
| Idaho | $55,400 | $26.63 | −21% |
| Montana | $54,800 | $26.35 | −22% |
| Wyoming | $54,200 | $26.06 | −22% |
| North Dakota | $53,700 | $25.82 | −23% |
| Arkansas | $50,400 | $24.23 | −28% |
| South Dakota | $51,200 | $24.62 | −27% |
| Mississippi | $48,700 | $23.41 | −30% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data, adjusted for 2026 estimates. Mean wages include all full- and part-time workers in covered employment.
Why State Wages Vary So Widely
Industry concentration is the primary driver. Massachusetts has MIT, Harvard, and a massive biotechnology and financial services cluster. Washington has Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing. These employers pay well above average wages, pulling the state mean up. Mississippi has agriculture, food processing, and retail — all below-average wage industries.
Cost of living adjusts the picture. On a purchasing power basis, the gap narrows significantly. A $60,000 salary in Mississippi buys more than a $90,000 salary in San Francisco. See our income percentile by state guide for cost-of-living-adjusted comparisons.
Mean vs. Median: Which Matters More?
| Measure | US Figure | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (average) annual wage | ~$69,900 | Skewed upward by high earners; above most workers’ experience |
| Median annual wage (individual) | ~$50,200 | The middle value; what a “typical” worker earns |
| Median household income | ~$80,600 | Includes multiple earners per household |
The median matters more for most decisions. The mean is pulled upward by a relatively small number of very high earners — top surgeons, investment bankers, and technology executives who earn $500,000+ annually. The median tells you what the worker at the 50th percentile actually earns.
Worked example: In a neighborhood where 9 people earn $40,000 and one person earns $1,000,000, the mean income is $136,000 — a number that describes nobody’s actual experience. The median is $40,000 — much more representative.
To find where your individual income ranks, see our income percentile calculator and income percentile by age guide.
Average Income by Industry
Industries vary enormously in average pay. The gap between the highest-paying sector (finance and securities) and the lowest (food services) is over $100,000 annually.
| Industry | Mean Annual Wage | Typical Entry-Level | Typical Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Securities, commodity contracts | $158,200 | $65,000 | $300,000+ |
| Software publishing | $141,300 | $85,000 | $200,000+ |
| Computer systems design | $115,400 | $75,000 | $160,000 |
| Management consulting | $113,700 | $70,000 | $175,000 |
| Legal services | $110,500 | $60,000 | $200,000+ |
| Insurance carriers | $93,800 | $50,000 | $130,000 |
| Healthcare (hospitals) | $86,300 | $45,000 | $130,000 |
| Educational services | $62,400 | $38,000 | $85,000 |
| Manufacturing | $61,200 | $40,000 | $85,000 |
| Construction | $60,800 | $38,000 | $90,000 |
| All industries (national avg) | $69,900 | ||
| Retail trade | $42,100 | $28,000 | $65,000 |
| Arts and entertainment | $41,300 | $28,000 | $70,000 |
| Home care services | $35,200 | $28,000 | $42,000 |
| Agriculture | $34,700 | $27,000 | $50,000 |
| Food services and drinking | $31,400 | $23,000 | $45,000 |
Source: BLS OEWS data by NAICS industry sector.
The technology sector’s dominance is recent. As recently as 2000, the finance sector was the clear leader. The rise of software engineering salaries — driven by global demand and concentrated hiring at companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft — has elevated technology wages dramatically over the past 15 years.
Average Income by Education Level
Education remains the strongest single predictor of lifetime earnings in the US. A bachelor’s degree adds approximately $32,000 in annual earnings compared to a high school diploma — and the gap compounds over a career.
| Education Level | Median Weekly Earnings | Median Annual | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | $614 | $31,900 | 5.7% |
| High school diploma (no college) | $825 | $42,900 | 3.7% |
| Some college, no degree | $941 | $48,900 | 3.4% |
| Associate’s degree | $1,004 | $52,200 | 2.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | $1,441 | $74,900 | 2.3% |
| Master’s degree | $1,737 | $90,300 | 1.8% |
| Doctoral degree | $2,109 | $109,700 | 1.1% |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, MBA) | $2,264 | $117,700 | 1.1% |
Source: BLS Current Population Survey, Earnings and Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment.
Return on investment varies by degree. A computer science bachelor’s degree ($115,000+ average starting salary at major tech companies) delivers far higher ROI than some liberal arts degrees. However, the data consistently shows that even “lower-returning” bachelor’s degrees earn significantly more than high school diplomas over a 40-year career, typically making the investment worthwhile.
Trade certifications are an underestimated path. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and other licensed tradespeople often earn $65,000–$95,000 after apprenticeship — above the national mean — with minimal student debt.
Gender Wage Gap by State
The gender wage gap persists across all states, though its size varies significantly by location and occupation mix.
| State | Women’s Median Earnings | Men’s Median Earnings | Women-to-Men Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $56,900 | $60,200 | 94.5% |
| New York | $60,100 | $65,200 | 92.2% |
| California | $62,400 | $70,100 | 89.0% |
| Florida | $47,800 | $54,300 | 88.0% |
| US national | $50,200 | $60,700 | 82.7% |
| Utah | $44,100 | $57,800 | 76.3% |
| Idaho | $42,600 | $56,700 | 75.1% |
| Wyoming | $41,900 | $57,300 | 73.1% |
Source: Census ACS median earnings for full-time, year-round workers.
The gap is driven by a combination of occupation sorting (women are more concentrated in lower-paying fields), fewer women in senior leadership roles, career interruptions for caregiving, and in some cases direct pay discrimination. The gap is narrowest in states with stronger equal pay laws and higher concentrations of female-dominated fields that happen to pay relatively well (healthcare).
Average Income by Occupation
The highest-paying individual occupations in the US as of 2026:
| Occupation | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $331,200 |
| Surgeons | $302,500 |
| Obstetricians and gynecologists | $296,400 |
| Psychiatrists | $288,900 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | $285,000 |
| Chief executives | $239,200 |
| Airline pilots and flight engineers | $221,900 |
| Dentists | $198,700 |
| Petroleum engineers | $163,600 |
| IT managers | $176,400 |
| Financial managers | $163,400 |
| Lawyers | $163,800 |
| Pharmacists | $135,400 |
| Software developers | $133,100 |
| Registered nurses | $93,600 |
| Electricians | $73,200 |
| Plumbers | $67,500 |
| Police officers | $73,100 |
| Teachers (K-12) | $69,800 |
| Administrative assistants | $47,100 |
| Retail salespersons | $37,100 |
| Food prep and servers | $31,800 |
Source: BLS OEWS national occupational employment and wage estimates.
How US Income Has Changed Over Time
| Year | Mean Annual Wage | Median HH Income | Inflation (CPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | $44,410 | $51,100 | 100 |
| 2015 | $49,630 | $57,200 | 108 |
| 2019 | $56,310 | $69,600 | 116 |
| 2020 | $58,260 | $68,400 | 119 |
| 2021 | $60,580 | $71,000 | 126 |
| 2022 | $64,290 | $74,600 | 137 |
| 2023 | $67,690 | $80,610 | 142 |
| 2024 | $68,900 | $82,700 (est.) | 146 |
| 2026 | ~$69,900 | ~$84,200 (est.) | ~150 |
Wage growth has outpaced inflation in most recent years, but the pandemic era (2020–2022) saw inflation spike sharply, eroding real purchasing power. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, median household income peaked around 2019 and has only recently recovered.
What “Average” Doesn’t Tell You: Purchasing Power by State
A dollar goes much further in Mississippi than in Massachusetts. When adjusting for purchasing power, the wage rankings shift considerably.
| State | Nominal Mean Wage | Cost-of-Living Index | Adjusted Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $48,700 | 85.0 | $57,300 |
| Arkansas | $50,400 | 87.2 | $57,800 |
| Indiana | $59,400 | 89.6 | $66,300 |
| Ohio | $62,900 | 90.1 | $69,800 |
| National avg | $69,900 | 100.0 | $69,900 |
| Massachusetts | $85,100 | 133.2 | $63,900 |
| California | $81,700 | 138.5 | $59,000 |
| New York | $82,300 | 139.1 | $59,200 |
| Hawaii | $71,900 | 192.9 | $37,300 |
The takeaway: A worker earning $48,700 in Mississippi may have more real purchasing power than someone earning $70,000 in California. This matters enormously for relocation decisions. For a deeper dive, see our income percentile by state guide which adjusts for regional price parities.
How to Increase Your Income
If your income falls below the national average, practical steps depend on your situation:
Within your current job:
- Request a raise with market data backing — use BLS OEWS for your occupation and state
- Pursue certifications or continuing education that increase your market value
- Switch to a performance-based compensation structure if your employer offers one
By changing jobs:
- Workers who change employers typically receive 10–15% higher raises than those who stay
- High-growth sectors (technology, healthcare, energy) pay more than stagnant ones
- Remote work opens access to higher-paying markets regardless of location
By changing career paths:
- Community college certificates in nursing, HVAC, electrical, and welding lead to $60,000–$90,000 jobs in 2–3 years
- Coding bootcamps have an uneven record but some produce six-figure jobs in 12–18 months
- An MBA adds ~$20,000–$40,000 in median salary but costs $60,000–$180,000 — ROI depends heavily on program and field
For context on where your income ranks nationally and within your state, use our income percentile calculator. To understand how income changes across a career, see average income by age.
Related: Income Percentile Calculator | Income Percentile by State | Average Income by Age | Poverty Line by State
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