Here’s the Highest-Paid Job in Every State
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.
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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
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Alaska: Personal Financial Advisors
Salary: $229,730
Total employment: 160
Education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Work experience requirement: None
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s the Highest-Paid Job in Every State