Research

The Jobs Where Your State Matters Most for Pay

Published October 2026 · BLS OEWS May 2025

For some jobs, moving states can double your pay. For others, pay is nearly the same everywhere. We compared the highest- and lowest-paying states for 144 common occupations, each employing at least 100,000 people nationwide.

Key finding: Average pay for Securities Commodities Financial Services Sales is 3.1 times as high in New York ($185,400) as in Mississippi ($59,170). At the other end, pay for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators barely changes from state to state: the best-paying state pays only 26% more than the lowest.

Where state matters most

The 15 occupations with the widest gap between their highest- and lowest-paying state.

Occupation	Lowest-paying state	Highest-paying state	Highest ÷ lowest
Securities Commodities Financial Services Sales	Mississippi $59,170	New York $185,400	3.13×
Waiters and Waitresses	Louisiana $22,350	Hawaii $68,260	3.05×
Bartenders	Louisiana $25,250	Hawaii $76,740	3.04×
Firefighters	Louisiana $36,610	California $95,090	2.60×
First-Line Supervisors of Police	Mississippi $64,330	California $163,210	2.54×
Real Estate Agents	Idaho $46,650	New York $112,730	2.42×
Police Officers	Mississippi $47,010	California $112,980	2.40×
Property Real Estate Managers	South Dakota $53,970	Colorado $125,310	2.32×
Hairdressers Hairstylists and Cosmetologists	Louisiana $27,600	Washington $63,800	2.31×
Chief Executives	Arkansas $164,930	Connecticut $376,840	2.28×
Correctional Officers and Jailers	Mississippi $40,550	California $92,410	2.28×
Personal Financial Advisors	Oklahoma $94,010	New York $210,310	2.24×
Lawyers	Mississippi $108,930	District of Columbia $242,800	2.23×
Operating Engineers and Equipment Operators	Arkansas $45,890	Hawaii $102,020	2.22×
Sheet Metal Workers	Arkansas $45,800	Washington $101,200	2.21×

Where state matters least

The 15 occupations where pay is most similar from state to state.

Occupation	Lowest-paying state	Highest-paying state	Highest ÷ lowest
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	West Virginia $42,360	New Hampshire $53,490	1.26×
Occupational Health Safety Specialists	Tennessee $82,020	Washington $106,620	1.30×
Physical Therapists	South Dakota $93,200	California $122,580	1.32×
Pharmacists	Rhode Island $123,300	California $162,340	1.32×
Cutting Machine Operators	Florida $41,940	Oregon $55,390	1.32×
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	Arkansas $38,740	Michigan $51,360	1.33×
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	Arkansas $61,020	Wyoming $81,310	1.33×
Claims Adjusters Examiners Investigators	Montana $70,660	Connecticut $94,410	1.34×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	Louisiana $51,930	Alaska $69,520	1.34×
Welders	Arkansas $50,020	Wyoming $67,990	1.36×
First-Line Supervisors of Production Workers	Arkansas $69,930	Wyoming $95,100	1.36×
Industrial Production Managers	Idaho $116,970	Massachusetts $162,230	1.39×
Occupational Therapists	Maine $87,900	California $121,920	1.39×
Industrial Engineers	Mississippi $96,270	Oregon $133,700	1.39×
Civil Engineers	Arkansas $89,500	California $124,540	1.39×

Methodology

Mean annual wages by state from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). To keep small samples from driving the results, a state is counted only when BLS reports at least 1,000 workers in the occupation there, and an occupation is included only when at least 30 states qualify. The ratio is the highest state mean divided by the lowest. Figures are not adjusted for cost of living; see our cost-of-living studies for that view.

Cite this study

USA Salaries, "The Jobs Where Your State Matters Most for Pay," based on BLS OEWS May 2025. https://usasalaries.com/research/jobs-where-pay-depends-most-on-state/

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