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Best states for an office employee
Quoted expert
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to office employee 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. As office employees are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for office employees. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an office employee, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for office employees. California is the best state for office employees, where the median salary is $48,968.If you are currently seeking employment as an office employee, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for office employees in 2026
1. California
Total office employee jobs: 1,957 Average annual salary: $48,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
2. Nevada
Total office employee jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $45,174 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
3. Pennsylvania
Total office employee jobs: 694 Average annual salary: $46,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
4. Michigan
Total office employee jobs: 530 Average annual salary: $42,457 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
5. Iowa
Total office employee jobs: 441 Average annual salary: $40,356 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
6. New Jersey
Total office employee jobs: 552 Average annual salary: $43,881 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
7. District of Columbia
Total office employee jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $53,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
8. Minnesota
Total office employee jobs: 391 Average annual salary: $43,677 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. Alaska
Total office employee jobs: 111 Average annual salary: $44,667 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 2.16
10. Oregon
Total office employee jobs: 287 Average annual salary: $41,974 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
Office employee jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an office employee
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an office employee
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $48,968 | $28,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,957 |
| 2 | Nevada | $45,174 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 133 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $46,248 | $26,000 | 12,805,537 | 694 |
| 4 | Michigan | $42,457 | $25,000 | 9,962,311 | 530 |
| 5 | Iowa | $40,356 | $25,000 | 3,145,711 | 441 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $43,881 | $25,000 | 9,005,644 | 552 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $53,763 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 85 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $43,677 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 391 |
| 9 | Alaska | $44,667 | $38,000 | 739,795 | 111 |
| 10 | Oregon | $41,974 | $27,000 | 4,142,776 | 287 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $38,682 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 44 |
| 12 | Arizona | $39,813 | $22,000 | 7,016,270 | 415 |
| 13 | Ohio | $41,339 | $24,000 | 11,658,609 | 552 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $44,772 | $27,000 | 1,059,639 | 48 |
| 15 | New York | $42,578 | $24,000 | 19,849,399 | 861 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $40,749 | $24,000 | 3,588,184 | 225 |
| 17 | Washington | $41,196 | $28,000 | 7,405,743 | 436 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $37,657 | $26,000 | 755,393 | 56 |
| 19 | Delaware | $42,279 | $24,000 | 961,939 | 57 |
| 20 | Illinois | $39,412 | $23,000 | 12,802,023 | 787 |
| 21 | Maryland | $44,233 | $25,000 | 6,052,177 | 318 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $40,137 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 484 |
| 23 | Texas | $38,598 | $21,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,133 |
| 24 | Florida | $37,060 | $19,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,372 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $37,061 | $23,000 | 5,795,483 | 351 |
| 26 | Colorado | $40,391 | $24,000 | 5,607,154 | 324 |
| 27 | Vermont | $38,682 | $26,000 | 623,657 | 43 |
| 28 | Georgia | $38,457 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 541 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $35,842 | $20,000 | 6,715,984 | 327 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $38,841 | $25,000 | 1,342,795 | 81 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $36,989 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 117 |
| 32 | Idaho | $34,359 | $22,000 | 1,716,943 | 115 |
| 33 | Utah | $35,513 | $21,000 | 3,101,833 | 203 |
| 34 | Missouri | $35,423 | $21,000 | 6,113,532 | 348 |
| 35 | Montana | $35,385 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 69 |
| 36 | Virginia | $37,905 | $21,000 | 8,470,020 | 507 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $34,781 | $20,000 | 4,454,189 | 194 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $34,959 | $20,000 | 1,815,857 | 69 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $36,383 | $22,000 | 6,859,819 | 534 |
| 40 | Indiana | $32,998 | $19,000 | 6,666,818 | 430 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $34,794 | $19,000 | 5,024,369 | 233 |
| 42 | Maine | $33,802 | $24,000 | 1,335,907 | 71 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $39,662 | $33,000 | 1,427,538 | 33 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $34,538 | $19,000 | 2,984,100 | 74 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $33,640 | $20,000 | 1,920,076 | 109 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $29,103 | $19,000 | 869,666 | 62 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $30,460 | $17,000 | 3,930,864 | 158 |
| 48 | Alabama | $32,184 | $17,000 | 4,874,747 | 161 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $27,512 | $15,000 | 2,088,070 | 113 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $30,640 | $16,000 | 4,684,333 | 155 |
| 51 | Kansas | $28,625 | $17,000 | 2,913,123 | 153 |
Highest paying states for office employees
| Rank | State | Avg. Office Employee Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $48,968 |
| 2 | Nevada | $45,174 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $46,248 |
| 4 | Michigan | $42,457 |
| 5 | Iowa | $40,356 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $43,881 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $53,763 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $43,677 |
| 9 | Alaska | $44,667 |
| 10 | Oregon | $41,974 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $38,682 |
| 12 | Arizona | $39,813 |
| 13 | Ohio | $41,339 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $44,772 |
| 15 | New York | $42,578 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $40,749 |
| 17 | Washington | $41,196 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $37,657 |
| 19 | Delaware | $42,279 |
| 20 | Illinois | $39,412 |
| 21 | Maryland | $44,233 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $40,137 |
| 23 | Texas | $38,598 |
| 24 | Florida | $37,060 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $37,061 |
| 26 | Colorado | $40,391 |
| 27 | Vermont | $38,682 |
| 28 | Georgia | $38,457 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $35,842 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $38,841 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $36,989 |
| 32 | Idaho | $34,359 |
| 33 | Utah | $35,513 |
| 34 | Missouri | $35,423 |
| 35 | Montana | $35,385 |
| 36 | Virginia | $37,905 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $34,781 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $34,959 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $36,383 |
| 40 | Indiana | $32,998 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $34,794 |
| 42 | Maine | $33,802 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $39,662 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $34,538 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $33,640 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $29,103 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $30,460 |
| 48 | Alabama | $32,184 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $27,512 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $30,640 |
| 51 | Kansas | $28,625 |
Expert opinions on the best states for office employees
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for office employees to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.
Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dixie State University
The great thing about a degree in English is that graduates can find work anywhere: teaching, freelance writing, technical writing, content production, editing, reporting-you name it. There are ample jobs in small towns and large cities in all of these areas. English degrees are also highly valued in a variety of jobs-such as sales, public relations, marketing, and paralegal work-because employers know these applicants, from day one, will have strong skills in writing, communication, critical thinking, and creative thinking.
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Updated January 8, 2025