President Salary By State: Highest-Paid Presidents by State [2026]
Research Summary. After thorough analysis by the Zippia data science team, we have compiled updated information on president salaries by state across the United States for 2026:
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New York boasts the highest president salary at $185,448
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Idaho offers the lowest president salary at $122,547
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The national average salary for presidents stands at $192,329
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National hourly wages for presidents are approximately $92.47
For a detailed understanding of our methodology, please read on.
Background
In various surveys, salary consistently emerges as the most critical aspect of employment for individuals across all demographics. A common question is, “How much do presidents earn where I live?”
While numerous factors influence your potential earnings, we provide robust data on average salaries for presidents by state, segmented by seniority level. Though your local salary may vary slightly from state averages, these figures give a reliable estimate of expected earnings.
Currently, New York ranks as the top state for president salaries, reflecting its competitive job market.
Top 10 States for President Salaries
Highest-Paid Presidents By State
| Rank | State | Average President Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $185,448 | $129,000 | $265,000 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $183,675 | $127,000 | $263,000 |
| 3 | Illinois | $177,899 | $121,000 | $261,000 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $175,566 | $119,000 | $257,000 |
| 5 | Texas | $172,204 | $115,000 | $257,000 |
| 6 | California | $171,536 | $114,000 | $255,000 |
| 7 | Washington | $171,338 | $114,000 | $256,000 |
| 8 | Virginia | $169,961 | $114,000 | $252,000 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $168,875 | $111,000 | $255,000 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $168,635 | $113,000 | $250,000 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $166,495 | $110,000 | $250,000 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $165,174 | $108,000 | $250,000 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $162,648 | $108,000 | $244,000 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $162,643 | $106,000 | $247,000 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $161,811 | $105,000 | $247,000 |
| 16 | Alabama | $160,446 | $104,000 | $246,000 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $160,277 | $106,000 | $242,000 |
| 18 | Delaware | $159,552 | $105,000 | $241,000 |
| 19 | Colorado | $157,314 | $101,000 | $244,000 |
| 20 | Missouri | $156,604 | $100,000 | $243,000 |
| 21 | Ohio | $156,294 | $102,000 | $239,000 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $153,476 | $98,000 | $239,000 |
| 23 | Maryland | $152,936 | $99,000 | $234,000 |
| 24 | Oregon | $152,680 | $97,000 | $238,000 |
| 25 | Nevada | $152,584 | $97,000 | $237,000 |
| 26 | Georgia | $152,243 | $97,000 | $236,000 |
| 27 | Florida | $151,621 | $97,000 | $235,000 |
| 28 | Utah | $150,908 | $95,000 | $237,000 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $149,732 | $95,000 | $234,000 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $149,207 | $94,000 | $234,000 |
| 31 | Michigan | $148,782 | $95,000 | $231,000 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $145,861 | $92,000 | $228,000 |
| 33 | Arizona | $145,691 | $92,000 | $230,000 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $145,227 | $92,000 | $229,000 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $143,085 | $91,000 | $223,000 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $142,123 | $90,000 | $223,000 |
| 37 | Maine | $140,824 | $89,000 | $221,000 |
| 38 | Vermont | $140,458 | $89,000 | $220,000 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $138,692 | $86,000 | $222,000 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $138,221 | $85,000 | $223,000 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $136,744 | $85,000 | $218,000 |
| 42 | Alaska | $134,823 | $83,000 | $217,000 |
| 43 | Indiana | $134,477 | $83,000 | $215,000 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $129,914 | $79,000 | $213,000 |
| 45 | Kansas | $128,652 | $78,000 | $211,000 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $128,375 | $77,000 | $211,000 |
| 47 | Montana | $127,065 | $77,000 | $208,000 |
| 48 | Iowa | $126,593 | $77,000 | $207,000 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $126,166 | $76,000 | $207,000 |
| 50 | Idaho | $122,547 | $73,000 | $203,000 |
Methodology: President Salary By State
To provide insights into president salaries by state, Zippia has compiled data from various trusted sources, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We complement this information with real-time salary data from job listings. The data science team then calculates a weighted average of these figures to establish an average salary for presidents across states.
We ranked each state based on these average annual salaries, identifying the state with the highest earnings for presidents.
President Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for presidents?
The highest-paid state for presidents is New York, offering an average salary of $185,448 per year.
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What city pays presidents the most?
New York, NY has the highest average salary for presidents, at $210,207 annually.
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What is the worst state for presidents?
The state with the lowest average salary for presidents is Idaho, with an average salary of $122,547 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
