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Here’s the Highest-Paid Job in Every State

February 19, 2024

8 min Read

Written by Jordan Rosenfeld

Edited by Amber Barkley

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While many people take on jobs for reasons other than purely money, salary is a determining factor for most people. Salaries on paper don’t necessarily reflect the actual purchasing power of that income, though, as cost of living varies widely from state to state.

However, taking a long look at the highest-paid profession in your area can tell you a lot about what really matters to people and what opportunities are best available in a given state or region.

To find the most lucrative jobs across America, GOBankingRates used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) May 2022 employment and wage data to find the highest-paying job in every state in terms of annual median wage.

However, one pattern that immediately emerges is that a few jobs top those lists in every state. So, to give a better sense of how each state differs from each other, this study omits healthcare professionals and chief executive officers. Find out what profession earns top dollar in your state.

Alabama: Natural Sciences Managers

Salary: $156,030
Total employment: 220
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Alaska: Personal Financial Advisors

Salary: $229,730
Total employment: 160
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

Arizona: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $215,530
Total employment: 2,190
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Arkansas: Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary: $150,960
Total employment: 1,960
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

California: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $252,110
Total employment: 9,670
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Today’s Top Offers

Colorado: Athletes and Sports Competitors

Salary: $213,540
Total employment: 360
Education requirement: None
Work experience requirement: No formal educational credential

Connecticut: Commercial Pilots

Salary: $198,120
Total employment: 280
Education requirement: Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience requirement: None

Delaware: Computer and Information Systems Managers

Salary: $195,140
Total employment: 1,820
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Five years or more

Washington, D.C.: Lawyers

Salary: $226,510
Total employment: 33,610
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: None

Florida: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $270,720
Total employment: 6,550
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Georgia: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $217,820
Total employment: Data not available
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Hawaii: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $203,050
Total employment: 120
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Idaho: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $209,580
Total employment: 260
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Illinois: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $221,580
Total employment: 6,570
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Indiana: Athletes and Sports Competitors

Salary: $702,270
Total employment: 310
Education requirement: No formal education required
Work experience requirement: None

Iowa: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $168,280
Total employment: 80
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Kansas: Architectural and Engineering Managers

Salary: $150,240
Total employment: 1,500
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Today’s Top Offers

Kentucky: Nuclear Engineers

Salary: $193,040
Total employment: 40
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

Louisiana: Architectural and Engineering Managers

Salary: $163,530
Total employment: Data not available
Education requirement: Bachelor’s Degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Maine: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $150,310
Total employment: 40
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Maryland: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $171,970
Total employment: 530
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Massachusetts: Natural Sciences Managers

Salary: $227,460
Total employment: 6,250
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Michigan: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $236,970
Total employment: Data not available
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Minnesota: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $174,070
Total employment: Data not available
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Mississippi: Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary: $157,160
Total employment: 1,580
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Missouri: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $217,730
Total employment: 210
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Montana: Personal Financial Advisors

Salary: $146,800
Total employment: 740
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

Nebraska: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $177,020
Total employment: 120
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Nevada: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $193,240
Total employment: 1,360
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Today’s Top Offers

New Hampshire: Natural Sciences Managers

Salary: $166,870
Total employment: 210
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

New Jersey: Petroleum Engineers

Salary: $208,980
Total employment: 120
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

New Mexico: Architectural and Engineering Managers

Salary: $191,880
Total employment: 1,530
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

New York: Sales Managers

Salary: $231,380
Total employment: 28,870
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

North Carolina: Natural Sciences Managers

Salary: $179,310
Total employment: 4,390
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

North Dakota: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $165,180
Total employment: 90
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Ohio: Athletes and Sports Competitors

Salary: $648,120
Total employment: 530
Education requirement: No formal education
Work experience requirement: None

Oklahoma: Architectural and Engineering Managers

Salary: $153,730
Total employment: 1,880
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Oregon: Computer and Information Research Scientists

Salary: $189,910
Total employment: 540
Education requirement: Master’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

Pennsylvania: Physicists

Salary: $195,160
Total employment: 320
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: None

Rhode Island: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $203,060
Total employment: 110
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

South Carolina: Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary: $186,120
Total employment: 60
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

South Dakota: Computer Network Architects

Salary: $156,870
Total employment: 780
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Today’s Top Offers

Tennessee: Lawyers

Salary: $149,050
Total employment: 8,830
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: None

Texas: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $212,940
Total employment: 9,190
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Utah: Computer and Information Systems Managers

Salary: $154,420
Total employment: 6,090
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Vermont: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Salary: $144,160
Total employment: 60
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: 5 years or more

Virginia: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $209,730
Total employment: 2,950
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Washington: Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Salary: $278,260
Total employment: 3,970
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

West Virginia: Sales Engineers

Salary: $186,950
Total employment: 160
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None

Wisconsin: Physicists

Salary: $166,000
Total employment: 150
Education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience requirement: None

Wyoming: Sales Managers

Salary: $146,350
Total employment: 130
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: Less than 5 years

Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.

To find the highest-paying job in every state, GOBankingRates analyzed each state’s occupational employment and wage statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the annual average salary, total employment and job title for the highest-salaried job in each state. Healthcare professions and chief executive professions were removed for the second rating to find professions outside of the typical highest earning professions. Once each job and resulting data were sourced, the educational requirement and work experience were also sourced for each job from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey as supplemental information. All data has been collected and is up to date as of Feb. 5, 2024.

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