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Best states for a neurosurgeon
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Neurosurgeon opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for neurosurgeons, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for neurosurgeons.Our research found that North Dakota is the best state for neurosurgeons, while North Dakota and Minnesota are ranked highest in terms of median salary. North Dakota has a median salary of $224,428 and North Dakota has the highest median salary among all 50 states for neurosurgeons.
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 neurosurgeons.North Dakota is the best state, and Williston is the city with the highest pay for neurosurgeons.
10 best states for neurosurgeons in 2026
1. North Dakota
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $224,428 Lowest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $295,000 Location Quotient: 2.13
2. Maine
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 56 Average annual salary: $217,094 Lowest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $291,000 Location Quotient: 4.64
3. Wisconsin
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 92 Average annual salary: $215,391 Lowest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $291,000 Location Quotient: 1.83
4. Alaska
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $217,783 Lowest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $295,000 Location Quotient: 2.37
5. Michigan
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $218,336 Lowest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $292,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
6. Minnesota
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 75 Average annual salary: $219,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $293,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
7. Nebraska
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 31 Average annual salary: $211,641 Lowest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $289,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
8. West Virginia
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 22 Average annual salary: $206,759 Lowest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $285,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
9. Pennsylvania
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $209,793 Lowest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $286,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
10. Iowa
Total neurosurgeon jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $215,360 Lowest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $291,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
Neurosurgeon jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a neurosurgeon
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a neurosurgeon
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $224,428 | $170,000 | 755,393 | 18 |
| 2 | Maine | $217,094 | $161,000 | 1,335,907 | 56 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $215,391 | $159,000 | 5,795,483 | 92 |
| 4 | Alaska | $217,783 | $160,000 | 739,795 | 18 |
| 5 | Michigan | $218,336 | $163,000 | 9,962,311 | 63 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $219,596 | $164,000 | 5,576,606 | 75 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $211,641 | $154,000 | 1,920,076 | 31 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $206,759 | $149,000 | 1,815,857 | 22 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $209,793 | $153,000 | 12,805,537 | 157 |
| 10 | Iowa | $215,360 | $159,000 | 3,145,711 | 23 |
| 11 | Montana | $217,782 | $161,000 | 1,050,493 | 8 |
| 12 | Kansas | $212,290 | $155,000 | 2,913,123 | 22 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $209,438 | $152,000 | 4,454,189 | 34 |
| 14 | Indiana | $206,880 | $149,000 | 6,666,818 | 79 |
| 15 | Ohio | $211,605 | $155,000 | 11,658,609 | 63 |
| 16 | Washington | $212,861 | $155,000 | 7,405,743 | 88 |
| 17 | Idaho | $210,255 | $152,000 | 1,716,943 | 12 |
| 18 | Illinois | $210,981 | $154,000 | 12,802,023 | 97 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $202,658 | $144,000 | 869,666 | 9 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $205,403 | $148,000 | 1,342,795 | 18 |
| 21 | Georgia | $206,424 | $149,000 | 10,429,379 | 81 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $204,646 | $147,000 | 3,930,864 | 19 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $198,032 | $139,000 | 579,315 | 6 |
| 24 | Delaware | $207,858 | $151,000 | 961,939 | 9 |
| 25 | Vermont | $198,114 | $140,000 | 623,657 | 18 |
| 26 | Missouri | $204,804 | $147,000 | 6,113,532 | 42 |
| 27 | Alabama | $203,105 | $146,000 | 4,874,747 | 29 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $204,980 | $148,000 | 4,684,333 | 19 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $197,425 | $139,000 | 2,088,070 | 25 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $197,829 | $140,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
| 31 | Colorado | $209,289 | $151,000 | 5,607,154 | 24 |
| 32 | Utah | $201,919 | $143,000 | 3,101,833 | 17 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $194,716 | $137,000 | 10,273,419 | 140 |
| 34 | Oregon | $195,559 | $136,000 | 4,142,776 | 64 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $205,582 | $148,000 | 9,005,644 | 54 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $190,344 | $132,000 | 6,715,984 | 60 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $193,101 | $135,000 | 3,588,184 | 50 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $202,437 | $145,000 | 1,059,639 | 1 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $199,770 | $142,000 | 5,024,369 | 20 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $197,702 | $140,000 | 6,859,819 | 73 |
| 41 | New York | $191,592 | $133,000 | 19,849,399 | 199 |
| 42 | Arizona | $195,026 | $137,000 | 7,016,270 | 46 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $185,566 | $127,000 | 3,004,279 | 24 |
| 44 | Nevada | $184,643 | $126,000 | 2,998,039 | 26 |
| 45 | Texas | $192,616 | $134,000 | 28,304,596 | 147 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $118,487 | $62,000 | 1,427,538 | 13 |
| 47 | Florida | $184,866 | $127,000 | 20,984,400 | 157 |
| 48 | Maryland | $195,211 | $137,000 | 6,052,177 | 30 |
| 49 | Virginia | $187,571 | $129,000 | 8,470,020 | 49 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $190,048 | $132,000 | 693,972 | 2 |
| 51 | California | $181,761 | $123,000 | 39,536,653 | 152 |
Highest paying states for neurosurgeons
| Rank | State | Avg. Neurosurgeon Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $224,428 |
| 2 | Maine | $217,094 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $215,391 |
| 4 | Alaska | $217,783 |
| 5 | Michigan | $218,336 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $219,596 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $211,641 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $206,759 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $209,793 |
| 10 | Iowa | $215,360 |
| 11 | Montana | $217,782 |
| 12 | Kansas | $212,290 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $209,438 |
| 14 | Indiana | $206,880 |
| 15 | Ohio | $211,605 |
| 16 | Washington | $212,861 |
| 17 | Idaho | $210,255 |
| 18 | Illinois | $210,981 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $202,658 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $205,403 |
| 21 | Georgia | $206,424 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $204,646 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $198,032 |
| 24 | Delaware | $207,858 |
| 25 | Vermont | $198,114 |
| 26 | Missouri | $204,804 |
| 27 | Alabama | $203,105 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $204,980 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $197,425 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $197,829 |
| 31 | Colorado | $209,289 |
| 32 | Utah | $201,919 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $194,716 |
| 34 | Oregon | $195,559 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $205,582 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $190,344 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $193,101 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $202,437 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $199,770 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $197,702 |
| 41 | New York | $191,592 |
| 42 | Arizona | $195,026 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $185,566 |
| 44 | Nevada | $184,643 |
| 45 | Texas | $192,616 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $118,487 |
| 47 | Florida | $184,866 |
| 48 | Maryland | $195,211 |
| 49 | Virginia | $187,571 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $190,048 |
| 51 | California | $181,761 |
Neurosurgeon best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025