Here’s the Highest-Paid Job in Every State
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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
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
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
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
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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