Find a Job You Really Want In
Have you ever wondered which jobs in America get paid the most?
One of the foundations of capitalism is that some jobs are compensated at a higher level than others. The particular jobs that are being paid more vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the current year’s events, recent technological developments, and economic factors like recessions.
However, much like the Highlander, at any particular time there can be only one (highest paying job, that is). We were curious what those were for every state, so we looked at the BLS statistics on the subject, along with the lowest paying.
Alabama comes out on top with the highest paying job, orthodontist, which has a sweet annual salary of $289,740. On the other end of the spectrum, South Carolina holds the lowest paying job, baggage porters and bellhops, with an annual salary of $17,810.
Based on the maps we have so far, it looks like square states (and the Midwest states in general) are the places to be for many of these white collar positions.
Top 5 Highest Paying Jobs by State
- State: Alabama
Position: Orthodontists
Salary: $289,740 - State: Florida
Position: Oral Surgeons
Salary: $288,450 - State: Maine
Position: Surgeons
Salary: $287,030 - State: Delaware
Position: Surgeons
Salary: $286,400 - State: North Dakota
Position: Anesthesiologists
Salary: $286,250
Top 5 Lowest Paying Jobs by State
- State: South Carolina
Position: Baggage Porters and Bellhops
Salary: $17,810 - State: Iowa
Position: Motion Picture Projectionists
Salary: $17,820 - State: Nevada
Position: Gaming Dealers
Salary: $18,000 - State: North Carolina
Position: Gaming Dealers
Salary: $18,040 - State: Kentucky
Position: Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other
Salary: $18,110
How did we figure this out?
This one was fairly simple: by looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, we were able to compile a list of the jobs in each state that had the highest annual salaries based on information from 2017 (The most recently available data set.). That was all it took for the highest paying jobs list.
For the lowest, certain jobs did not have hourly salary ranges, and so were excluded from the ranking; besides that, the list was compiled in the same way as the highest paid list.
There You Have It
Here’s hoping that this information helps you find what you’re looking for in your career. If you need more information about any of these jobs, be sure to check out our website to compare salaries, look at job listings, and get additional information about the career paths of dozens of different jobs, such as anesthesiology, orthodontistry, or surgery.
Detailed Breakdown Of The Highest Paying Job In Each State
| State | Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Pediatricians | $265,750 |
| Alabama | Orthodontists | $289,740 |
| Arkansas | Internists | $247,280 |
| Arizona | Orthodontists | $284,310 |
| California | Anesthesiologists | $283,860 |
| Colorado | OBGYN | $277,770 |
| Connecticut | Anesthesiologists | $269,350 |
| Delaware | Surgeons | $286,400 |
| Florida | Oral Surgeons | $288,450 |
| Georgia | Surgeons | $277,260 |
| Hawaii | Podiatrists | $280,880 |
| Iowa | Oral Surgeons | $264,910 |
| Idaho | OBGYN | $281,710 |
| Illinois | Anesthesiologists | $259,520 |
| Indiana | Anesthesiologists | $273,570 |
| Kansas | Surgeons | $278,060 |
| Kentucky | Surgeons | $270,300 |
| Louisiana | Anesthesiologists | $284,510 |
| Massachusetts | Oral Surgeons | $283,350 |
| Maryland | Surgeons | $269,590 |
| Maine | Surgeons | $287,030 |
| Michigan | Surgeons | $281,570 |
| Minnesota | Internists | $260,500 |
| Missouri | Orthodontists | $271,750 |
| Mississippi | Pediatricians | $274,470 |
| Montana | OBGYN | $262,060 |
| North Carolina | Surgeons | $279,530 |
| North Dakota | Anesthesiologists | $286,250 |
| Nebraska | Surgeons | $283,760 |
| New Hampshire | Physicians | $275,050 |
| New Jersey | Orthodontists | $263,880 |
| New Mexico | Surgeons | $281,960 |
| Nevada | Anesthesiologists | $268,920 |
| New York | Anesthesiologists | $271,510 |
| Ohio | Anesthesiologists | $277,020 |
| Oklahoma | Anesthesiologists | $273,020 |
| Oregon | OBGYN | $256,100 |
| Pennsylvania | Anesthesiologists | $267,960 |
| Rhode Island | Surgeons | $278,300 |
| South Carolina | Oral Surgeons | $267,960 |
| South Dakota | Anesthesiologists | $285,880 |
| Tennessee | Anesthesiologists | $253,180 |
| Texas | Anesthesiologists | $261,670 |
| Utah | Dentists | $257,800 |
| Virginia | Oral Surgeons | $281,130 |
| Vermont | Anesthesiologists | $277,620 |
| Washington | Anesthesiologists | $260,390 |
| Wisconsin | Surgeons | $279,510 |
| West Virginia | Physicians | $239,630 |
| Wyoming | OBGYN | $263,490 |
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.
