When it comes to how much Americans earn per hour, the numbers vary a lot from one state to another. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (April 2025), the District of Columbia leads the country with the highest average hourly wage at $52.25. Massachusetts and Washington rank in the second and third positions that offer the highest hourly wages at $42.21 and $41.61 per hour, respectively. These states offer high-paying jobs in government, tech, and healthcare sectors, which helps push wages higher.
On the other hand, Mississippi has the lowest average hourly wage in the United States at $27.88, followed by New Mexico at $29.13 and Louisiana at $29.38. These states often have more jobs in agriculture, tourism, or lower-wage service industries. Additionally, the US average hourly wage ranges between $34 and $35, which shows a growing divide between high-wage and low-wage states.
Key Takeaways
- States with large cities and coastal access such as California, Washington, and New York, offer some of the highest wages in the United States. These areas tend to have well-paying tech, finance, and healthcare sectors.
- US States located in the South tend to have lower wages. Most of these areas are reliant on industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, or agriculture, which generally do not pay as well as finance or tech.
US Hourly Earnings by State
The following table provides a clear picture of the US hourly wage in each state
| State | Hourly Earnings | Weekly Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $31.08 | $1,097.12 |
| Alaska | $37.41 | $1,245.75 |
| Arizona | $34.59 | $1,196.81 |
| Arkansas | $29.69 | $1,030.24 |
| California | $40.69 | $1,354.98 |
| Colorado | $39.10 | $1,294.21 |
| Connecticut | $38.43 | $1,287.41 |
| Delaware | $32.37 | $1,052.03 |
| District of Columbia | $52.25 | $1,854.88 |
| Florida | $33.85 | $1,164.44 |
| Georgia | $33.95 | $1,161.09 |
| Hawaii | $37.84 | $1,233.58 |
| Idaho | $34.05 | $1,174.73 |
| Illinois | $34.71 | $1,162.79 |
| Indiana | $32.27 | $1,100.41 |
| Iowa | $30.75 | $1,051.65 |
| Kansas | $31.59 | $1,064.58 |
| Kentucky | $30.07 | $1,046.44 |
| Louisiana | $29.38 | $1,057.68 |
| Maine | $32.39 | $1,072.11 |
| Maryland | $35.62 | $1,186.15 |
| Massachusetts | $42.21 | $1,409.81 |
| Michigan | $33.46 | $1,127.60 |
| Minnesota | $39.04 | $1,284.42 |
| Mississippi | $27.88 | $992.53 |
| Missouri | $32.52 | $1,092.67 |
| Montana | $32.86 | $1,090.95 |
| Nebraska | $32.53 | $1,089.76 |
| Nevada | $32.10 | $1,101.03 |
| New Hampshire | $35.68 | $1,181.01 |
| New Jersey | $37.68 | $1,254.74 |
| New Mexico | $29.13 | $984.59 |
| New York | $38.50 | $1,251.25 |
| North Carolina | $33.68 | $1,131.65 |
| North Dakota | $34.32 | $1,197.77 |
| Ohio | $33.22 | $1,136.12 |
| Oklahoma | $30.76 | $1,082.75 |
| Oregon | $36.68 | $1,225.11 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.52 | $1,112.18 |
| Rhode Island | $36.01 | $1,199.13 |
| South Carolina | $31.80 | $1,068.48 |
| South Dakota | $31.20 | $1,010.88 |
| Tennessee | $30.68 | $1,052.32 |
| Texas | $34.25 | $1,239.85 |
| Utah | $34.87 | $1,161.17 |
| Vermont | $34.78 | $1,182.52 |
| Virginia | $35.94 | $1,221.96 |
| Washington | $41.61 | $1,431.38 |
| West Virginia | $29.90 | $1,046.50 |
| Wisconsin | $34.54 | $1,129.46 |
| Wyoming | $32.17 | $1,109.87 |
The data is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (April 2025).
Overall, the U.S. has a broad variation in hourly wages. States with strong urban bases and high levels of demand for skilled labor experience higher wages. Conversely, rural or less advanced areas fall behind in hourly wages.
The States with the Highest Hourly Wages
District of Columbia ($52.25/hour): With many federal agencies, law firms, and consulting firms, D.C. leads the US in hourly wages.
Massachusetts ($42.21/hour): Massachusetts ranks second highest in hourly income in the United States. The state hosts elite universities and hospitals, which keeps the average wage high due to the strong knowledge-based economy. Furthermore, the Boston metropolitan area boosts the state’s average wage substantially.
Washington ($41.61/hour): Washington’s relatively high average wage is mainly a result of its booming tech industry, particularly in Seattle. Large businesses such as Microsoft and Amazon also have headquarters in Washington, generating numerous highly paid positions in technology, engineering, and management. That has pushed wages in the state upward in urban areas.
Washington also has a very high cost of living, particularly in cities such as Seattle and other cities in the Puget Sound area. Housing expenses (rental and mortgage), healthcare, and transportation are considerably more than the national average. Because of the high cost of living, employees must earn more to cover basic expenses.
California ($40.69/hour): California, also referred to as Silicon Valley, has numerous leading technology firms that provide lucrative employment opportunities. Hollywood also contributes with entertainment-related jobs, and large hospitals and universities include lucrative jobs in health care and education.
Colorado and New York ($38.50–$39/hour): Colorado and New York both have mature, diverse economies. In Colorado, technology, aerospace, healthcare, arts and tourism all drive higher wages than most other US states. In New York, finance, education, technology, and media help to boost hourly wages. These established industries create well-paying jobs that boost the state’s average earnings.
US Federal Budget 2025: Spending, Revenue, and the $1.8 Trillion Deficit
States with the Lowest Hourly Wages
Mississippi ($27.88/hour): Mississippi boasts the lowest average hourly pay in the US. This is largely due to the fact that the state has a high concentration of jobs in agriculture, small firms, and low-paying service industries.
New Mexico ($29.13/hour): New Mexico offers some good-paying government and scientific research jobs, particularly in locations such as Los Alamos and Albuquerque. These jobs are not numerous in number, and they don’t increase the average pay very much for the whole state. Therefore, this state is also ranked among the lowest-paying states in the US.
Louisiana ($29.38/hour): Louisiana has numerous employment opportunities in the tourist and service industries, particularly in the New Orleans area. These employment opportunities tend to have lower wages, which decreases the state average wage.
Arkansas and West Virginia ($29.69–$29.90/hour): Arkansas and West Virginia are more rural states with lower populations. They also do not have major industries that pay high wages. Because of this, the majority of the jobs are in low-paid industries, which puts the average income on the lower side.
Additionally, some economically strong and well-known states have interesting trends in hourly earnings.
Texas ($34.25/hour): Texas is among the biggest economies in the U.S., but its median wage only just exceeds the national average. The reason is that it has a range of both high-wage energy and tech positions and tons of lower-wage service jobs.
Conclusion
Out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 24 states have average hourly earnings above the national average of $34.91, while 27 states fall below it. The states with high hourly wages, including D.C., Massachusetts, and Washington, have highly educated workforce and industries that demand skilled labor. Meanwhile, states with lower wages often rely more on lower-skilled service jobs and have fewer large urban centres to boost their average earnings.
Add Comment