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Best states for a hand surgeon
Quoted expert
Rajesh Balkrishnan Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to hand surgeon jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that North Dakota is the best state for hand surgeons, while Maine and Wisconsin are ranked highest in terms of median salary. North Dakota has a median salary of $213,586 and Maine has the highest median salary among all 50 states for hand surgeons.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for hand surgeons.North Dakota is the best state, and Bangor is the city with the highest pay for hand surgeons.
10 best states for hand surgeons in 2025
1. North Dakota
Total hand surgeon jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $213,586 Lowest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $290,000 Location Quotient: 3.47
2. Maine
Total hand surgeon jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $216,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $290,000 Location Quotient: 4.86
3. Wisconsin
Total hand surgeon jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $213,893 Lowest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $290,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
4. Indiana
Total hand surgeon jobs: 58 Average annual salary: $208,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $287,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
5. Minnesota
Total hand surgeon jobs: 72 Average annual salary: $211,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $289,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
6. Montana
Total hand surgeon jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $203,018 Lowest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $285,000 Location Quotient: 8.64
7. Michigan
Total hand surgeon jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $204,367 Lowest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $284,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Illinois
Total hand surgeon jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $208,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $287,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
9. New Hampshire
Total hand surgeon jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $205,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $284,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Alaska
Total hand surgeon jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $202,041 Lowest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $284,000 Location Quotient: 2.94
Hand surgeon jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a hand surgeon
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a hand surgeon
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $213,586 | $156,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 2 | Maine | $216,560 | $161,000 | 1,335,907 | 42 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $213,893 | $157,000 | 5,795,483 | 85 |
| 4 | Indiana | $208,708 | $151,000 | 6,666,818 | 58 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $211,696 | $154,000 | 5,576,606 | 72 |
| 6 | Montana | $203,018 | $144,000 | 1,050,493 | 65 |
| 7 | Michigan | $204,367 | $146,000 | 9,962,311 | 55 |
| 8 | Illinois | $208,706 | $151,000 | 12,802,023 | 84 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $205,897 | $149,000 | 1,342,795 | 12 |
| 10 | Alaska | $202,041 | $143,000 | 739,795 | 16 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $197,650 | $139,000 | 1,815,857 | 12 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $198,336 | $139,000 | 1,920,076 | 19 |
| 13 | Kansas | $201,466 | $143,000 | 2,913,123 | 17 |
| 14 | Delaware | $203,581 | $146,000 | 961,939 | 8 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $198,651 | $140,000 | 6,715,984 | 29 |
| 16 | Iowa | $195,429 | $136,000 | 3,145,711 | 23 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $194,371 | $136,000 | 12,805,537 | 91 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $192,109 | $133,000 | 4,454,189 | 36 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $203,296 | $146,000 | 6,859,819 | 49 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $196,017 | $137,000 | 3,930,864 | 18 |
| 21 | Georgia | $201,393 | $143,000 | 10,429,379 | 45 |
| 22 | Vermont | $194,870 | $136,000 | 623,657 | 14 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $201,371 | $144,000 | 3,588,184 | 21 |
| 24 | Washington | $198,741 | $139,000 | 7,405,743 | 50 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $200,563 | $143,000 | 4,684,333 | 7 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $202,217 | $144,000 | 9,005,644 | 40 |
| 27 | Maryland | $205,652 | $148,000 | 6,052,177 | 25 |
| 28 | Alabama | $196,241 | $138,000 | 4,874,747 | 19 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $188,673 | $128,000 | 869,666 | 8 |
| 30 | New York | $195,464 | $137,000 | 19,849,399 | 132 |
| 31 | Ohio | $193,899 | $135,000 | 11,658,609 | 39 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $199,646 | $142,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $194,111 | $136,000 | 2,984,100 | 9 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $195,074 | $137,000 | 5,024,369 | 15 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $186,396 | $128,000 | 2,088,070 | 14 |
| 36 | Idaho | $193,474 | $134,000 | 1,716,943 | 7 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $179,963 | $120,000 | 579,315 | 6 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $180,781 | $122,000 | 10,273,419 | 73 |
| 39 | Oregon | $184,371 | $124,000 | 4,142,776 | 29 |
| 40 | Utah | $185,069 | $125,000 | 3,101,833 | 14 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $176,817 | $118,000 | 3,004,279 | 17 |
| 42 | Arizona | $187,021 | $128,000 | 7,016,270 | 27 |
| 43 | Texas | $184,922 | $126,000 | 28,304,596 | 103 |
| 44 | Florida | $177,529 | $119,000 | 20,984,400 | 122 |
| 45 | Missouri | $182,720 | $123,000 | 6,113,532 | 27 |
| 46 | Virginia | $187,447 | $129,000 | 8,470,020 | 21 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $147,470 | $89,000 | 1,427,538 | 6 |
| 48 | Colorado | $184,170 | $124,000 | 5,607,154 | 18 |
| 49 | Nevada | $169,574 | $111,000 | 2,998,039 | 12 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $185,036 | $126,000 | 693,972 | 3 |
| 51 | California | $175,721 | $117,000 | 39,536,653 | 127 |
Highest paying states for hand surgeons
| Rank | State | Avg. Hand Surgeon Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $213,586 |
| 2 | Maine | $216,560 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $213,893 |
| 4 | Indiana | $208,708 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $211,696 |
| 6 | Montana | $203,018 |
| 7 | Michigan | $204,367 |
| 8 | Illinois | $208,706 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $205,897 |
| 10 | Alaska | $202,041 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $197,650 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $198,336 |
| 13 | Kansas | $201,466 |
| 14 | Delaware | $203,581 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $198,651 |
| 16 | Iowa | $195,429 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $194,371 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $192,109 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $203,296 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | $196,017 |
| 21 | Georgia | $201,393 |
| 22 | Vermont | $194,870 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $201,371 |
| 24 | Washington | $198,741 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $200,563 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $202,217 |
| 27 | Maryland | $205,652 |
| 28 | Alabama | $196,241 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $188,673 |
| 30 | New York | $195,464 |
| 31 | Ohio | $193,899 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $199,646 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $194,111 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $195,074 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $186,396 |
| 36 | Idaho | $193,474 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $179,963 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $180,781 |
| 39 | Oregon | $184,371 |
| 40 | Utah | $185,069 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $176,817 |
| 42 | Arizona | $187,021 |
| 43 | Texas | $184,922 |
| 44 | Florida | $177,529 |
| 45 | Missouri | $182,720 |
| 46 | Virginia | $187,447 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $147,470 |
| 48 | Colorado | $184,170 |
| 49 | Nevada | $169,574 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $185,036 |
| 51 | California | $175,721 |
Expert opinions on the best states for hand surgeons
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for hand surgeons to find work opportunities?
Rajesh Balkrishnan Ph.D.
Professor of Public Health Sciences, Clinical Professor, University of Virginia
Areas close to IT Hubs or where there are many new startups (For example, Northern Virginia or Bay Area)
Areas where health care technology industry is growing (Boston, NJ)
Hand surgeon best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025