Where a paycheck stretches furthest
A high salary in an expensive state can buy less than a modest one somewhere cheaper. This ranks every state by its typical median pay — across all occupations, weighted by employment — after dividing by the local cost-of-living index, so $100 means the same basket of goods everywhere.
| # | State | Typical median | COL index | Adjusted pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $121,101 | 109.9 | $110,192 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $99,477 | 105.8 | $94,024 |
| 3 | Washington | $100,291 | 107.0 | $93,730 |
| 4 | New York | $99,481 | 107.9 | $92,197 |
| 5 | California | $98,606 | 110.7 | $89,075 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $91,323 | 103.6 | $88,150 |
| 7 | Colorado | $89,670 | 103.1 | $86,973 |
| 8 | Virginia | $87,846 | 101.1 | $86,891 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $85,198 | 98.6 | $86,408 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $93,266 | 108.8 | $85,722 |
| 11 | Maryland | $89,024 | 105.0 | $84,785 |
| 12 | Oregon | $86,825 | 103.4 | $83,970 |
| 13 | Alaska | $85,942 | 102.4 | $83,927 |
| 14 | Illinois | $82,534 | 100.0 | $82,534 |
| 15 | Delaware | $82,127 | 99.8 | $82,291 |
| 16 | Ohio | $76,211 | 92.8 | $82,124 |
| 17 | Georgia | $79,044 | 96.3 | $82,081 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $72,899 | 89.0 | $81,909 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $83,722 | 102.3 | $81,839 |
| 20 | Vermont | $79,734 | 98.0 | $81,361 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $76,472 | 94.1 | $81,267 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $74,631 | 92.2 | $80,944 |
| 23 | Texas | $78,494 | 97.1 | $80,838 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $83,780 | 104.2 | $80,403 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $78,471 | 97.6 | $80,400 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $72,136 | 90.1 | $80,062 |
| 27 | Iowa | $70,260 | 87.8 | $80,022 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $75,299 | 94.3 | $79,851 |
| 29 | Michigan | $76,659 | 96.2 | $79,687 |
| 30 | Missouri | $71,645 | 90.8 | $78,905 |
| 31 | Kansas | $70,556 | 90.1 | $78,308 |
| 32 | Maine | $75,690 | 97.1 | $77,951 |
| 33 | Utah | $76,946 | 98.9 | $77,802 |
| 34 | Indiana | $71,914 | 93.3 | $77,078 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $70,522 | 91.9 | $76,737 |
| 36 | Arizona | $77,138 | 100.7 | $76,602 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $70,956 | 92.7 | $76,543 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $67,701 | 88.6 | $76,411 |
| 39 | Alabama | $67,600 | 88.8 | $76,126 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $68,044 | 90.2 | $75,437 |
| 41 | Montana | $70,780 | 94.6 | $74,820 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $65,305 | 87.8 | $74,379 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $69,369 | 93.7 | $74,033 |
| 44 | Idaho | $70,621 | 95.5 | $73,949 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $65,174 | 88.2 | $73,893 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $65,871 | 89.5 | $73,598 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $80,163 | 110.0 | $72,875 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $62,689 | 86.9 | $72,140 |
| 49 | Nevada | $71,694 | 100.0 | $71,694 |
| 50 | Florida | $72,981 | 103.4 | $70,581 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $58,612 | 87.0 | $67,370 |
How this is calculated
The typical median is the employment-weighted middle wage across all occupations in each state, from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics release for May 2025. The cost-of-living index sets the national average at 100 — a state at 110 is 10% more expensive than average. Adjusted pay divides one by the other, so a higher number means your money goes further.
Adjust your own number with the cost-of-living calculator. Information, not advice.
See also: highest-paying occupations · fastest-growing occupations