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.