Every U.S. state’s highest-paying job vs. the national average

If you’re lucky enough to know the career you want and your way into it, you may find yourself with one more question: where to do it.

Gravitating to an industry hotspot, such as Silicon Valley for tech, might seem inevitable. But that can quickly make you a small fish in a big pond. It can make more sense to work in a town you love, or to make an impact in a lesser-known, up-and-coming industry hub — particularly in an age when professional networks are so distributed.

You might also consider regional variations in pay. We know that Bozeman, Montana, has the highest-paying entry-level jobs and that states that raise their minimum wage slow the flow of poorer workers to neighboring markets. But how about the occupations themselves — how does pay vary for the same job depending on what side of the state line you’re on?We sourced occupational salaries from every state and the biggest metro areas to find out.

What we did

The team at Career.io used the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest wage estimates to calculate which job pays the highest average salary relative to the national average wage for that job in each U.S. state and the most populated metro areas.

Key findings

• In New York, Crane and Tower Operators are paid +109.03% over the national average for the role.

• In California, Craft Artists are paid +89.06% more than the national average.

• Wisconsin’s Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners have the biggest local wage premium of all — earning +216.19% over the national average.

• Models in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area earn +144.02% over the national average.

The jobs that pay higher salaries in each state compared to the rest of the U.S.

Every state has at least one occupation that pays at least 25% more than the national average for that occupation. We’ve created two maps, with the first and second most disproportionately well-paid job in each state. Among the number one jobs, we found two that pay double and two that pay triple the national average.

In Wisconsin, Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners earn +216.19% above the national average for their role — the biggest disparity of any job in the U.S. The Oneida Casino in Green Bay is Wisconsin’s only legal sports betting venue, and there are just 40 employees in this role in Wisconsin.

We found that five of the ten states with the highest pay disparity are among the top ten with the second-most disproportionately paid jobs. Those states are New York, Connecticut, Alaska, New Jersey and Louisiana. Connecticut’s Construction Helpers (+90.48%) and Bailiffs (+81.46%) are the biggest beneficiaries of high wages in the state. Housing costs are around 45% higher than the national average in Connecticut, and only D.C., Washington and parts of New York have a higher minimum wage.

Some states offer a clear economic advantage for top professionals in the sectors for which those states are famous. New York’s choreographers average $113,380, which is 93.02% above the national average — reflecting New York City’s standard-setting theater scene. Colorado is America’s second-largest aerospace economy. There are more than 400 companies involved in “groundbreaking missions related to space and planetary science,” with firms such as Sierra Nevada Corporation and Maxar Lockheed Martin willing to pay top dollar to attract talent from their rivals, and the pay for this work is +57.09% higher in Colorado than the national average.

America’s highest-paying jobs in business & finance 

Next, we honed in on the top-paying business and finance occupations in each state compared to the national average. We found three states with a role that is paid at a premium of more than 50% of the national average: Alaska, Nebraska and New York. Of these, Alaska’s personal financial advisors are the standout group, earning +66.79% over the average for their profession. There are just 160 personal finance advisors in the state.

In the state of New York, Credit Analysts have the highest wage disparity (+50.98%). A credit analyst dissects the financial statements of individuals or companies to assess the risk involved in giving credit or lending money. New York has America’s highest concentration of extreme wealth. Since wealthier entities may access higher credit, the risks — and the pay — involved in the flow of credit are much higher.

The highest-paying jobs in the New York metropolitan area

In the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area, Crane and Tower Operators are paid +111.24% over the national average — echoing the state-wide premium of +109.03% for the same job. 

New York crane operators work on some of the highest cranes in the world, and the job can involve high risk, high stress and long hours of close concentration. Operators must be licensed, and in New York, they are backed up by a strong union; they may supplement their salary with overtime hours and often make six figures.

The highest-paying jobs in the Greater Los Angeles area

Models in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro make +144.02% above the national average for the job. 

As a major hub for TV, film and advertising productions, demand for models is high in L.A. — and these types of modeling work may pay higher than some other modeling gigs, particularly at the higher end of the industry. It is also likely that a handful of top earners significantly raise the average model salary in this region.

The highest-paying jobs in the Chicago metropolitan area

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, insurance sales agents can earn more than twice (+109.20%) the national average.

Chicago is a major finance and insurance hub with the third largest industry workforce in the U.S. Many of Chicago’s most disproportionately well-paid jobs are related to construction; thanks to the region’s economic vitality and ongoing development, Illinois is the country’s best-paid state for construction workers overall.

The highest-paying jobs in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

A mixed bunch of professionals can claim higher salaries for their role in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro. 

Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners are on top by a significant margin, earning +76.51% over the national average. Transportation Workers, geoscientists and optometrists earn a quarter to a third more than the national average for their line of work. Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders have the area’s second-best premium, earning +51.74% over the national average. Texas is a hot spot for coolers: only Missouri, Georgia and California employ more people in this trade.

Should you be looking for a higher salary?

If you’re at the start of your career, moving to a state with consistently higher wages in your industry could change your whole economic outlook. However, it’s worth noting that high pay is often side-saddled to a higher cost of living — so it’s important to check out all the financial variables before planning a big move. It’s also essential to remember that money isn’t everything. Quality of life is connected to your environment, friends and the happiness and welfare of your family and dependents. 

If you’re not ready to move for a pay hike just now, check out our national guide to the top-paying jobs with the most and least competition for a role that might suit you closer to home.

Methodology

We used the latest wage estimates per occupation from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate which job pays the highest average salary relative (%) to the national average salary for that job in each U.S. state and the top ten most populated metro areas.

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. bls.gov

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. bls.gov

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). May 2022 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Definitions. bls.gov

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. bls.gov

We worked with the 830 most granular occupations listed under ‘detail,’ excluding any occupation that did not provide an estimate for employment numbers.