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Best states for a reader
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- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a reader at Data Recognition, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for readers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Although there are abundant reader jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Alaska is the best state in the country for reader jobs.
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 readers.We found that Alaska is the best state for reader jobs, whereas Minnesota is the worst.
10 best states for readers in 2026
1. Alaska
Total reader jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $89,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 2.63
2. Maine
Total reader jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $65,873 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 2.84
3. West Virginia
Total reader jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $68,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. New Hampshire
Total reader jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $59,195 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 5.74
5. Delaware
Total reader jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $63,208 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.75
6. Connecticut
Total reader jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $63,920 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
7. Rhode Island
Total reader jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $62,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
8. New York
Total reader jobs: 81 Average annual salary: $62,858 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
9. Mississippi
Total reader jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $55,618 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 2.07
10. Vermont
Total reader jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $55,734 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 6.54
Reader jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a reader
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a reader
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $89,986 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 7 |
| 2 | Maine | $65,873 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 12 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $68,442 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 5 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $59,195 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 32 |
| 5 | Delaware | $63,208 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 7 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $63,920 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 15 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $62,986 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 5 |
| 8 | New York | $62,858 | $30,000 | 19,849,399 | 81 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $55,618 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 14 |
| 10 | Vermont | $55,734 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 16 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $61,362 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 26 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $61,760 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 7 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $51,628 | $27,000 | 4,454,189 | 27 |
| 14 | Maryland | $61,464 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 15 |
| 15 | Indiana | $60,346 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 7 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $52,662 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 7 |
| 17 | Ohio | $57,027 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 11 |
| 18 | California | $61,873 | $29,000 | 39,536,653 | 45 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $57,056 | $27,000 | 9,005,644 | 23 |
| 20 | Michigan | $52,435 | $27,000 | 9,962,311 | 19 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $48,866 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 4 |
| 22 | Nevada | $54,391 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 4 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $50,231 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 14 |
| 24 | Idaho | $49,174 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 10 |
| 25 | Colorado | $47,536 | $25,000 | 5,607,154 | 86 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $49,578 | $29,000 | 1,427,538 | 6 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $60,683 | $29,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 28 | Utah | $51,741 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 6 |
| 29 | Florida | $49,854 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 56 |
| 30 | Washington | $51,369 | $26,000 | 7,405,743 | 18 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $44,764 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 5 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $42,867 | $22,000 | 3,930,864 | 24 |
| 33 | Montana | $41,887 | $23,000 | 1,050,493 | 12 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $46,490 | $23,000 | 2,088,070 | 5 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $40,071 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 23 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $47,506 | $24,000 | 5,024,369 | 6 |
| 37 | Missouri | $40,278 | $21,000 | 6,113,532 | 36 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $44,611 | $21,000 | 12,805,537 | 17 |
| 39 | Kansas | $37,646 | $20,000 | 2,913,123 | 17 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $44,106 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 10 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $40,966 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 10 |
| 42 | Oregon | $40,270 | $20,000 | 4,142,776 | 12 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,237 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 20 |
| 44 | Iowa | $39,959 | $22,000 | 3,145,711 | 7 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $27,832 | $15,000 | 579,315 | 17 |
| 46 | Illinois | $44,029 | $23,000 | 12,802,023 | 10 |
| 47 | Alabama | $30,956 | $16,000 | 4,874,747 | 16 |
| 48 | Texas | $34,055 | $17,000 | 28,304,596 | 54 |
| 49 | Virginia | $35,168 | $17,000 | 8,470,020 | 11 |
| 50 | Arizona | $32,998 | $16,000 | 7,016,270 | 7 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $33,539 | $19,000 | 5,576,606 | 6 |
Highest paying states for readers
| Rank | State | Avg. Reader Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $89,986 |
| 2 | Maine | $65,873 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $68,442 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $59,195 |
| 5 | Delaware | $63,208 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $63,920 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $62,986 |
| 8 | New York | $62,858 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $55,618 |
| 10 | Vermont | $55,734 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $61,362 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $61,760 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $51,628 |
| 14 | Maryland | $61,464 |
| 15 | Indiana | $60,346 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $52,662 |
| 17 | Ohio | $57,027 |
| 18 | California | $61,873 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $57,056 |
| 20 | Michigan | $52,435 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $48,866 |
| 22 | Nevada | $54,391 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $50,231 |
| 24 | Idaho | $49,174 |
| 25 | Colorado | $47,536 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $49,578 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $60,683 |
| 28 | Utah | $51,741 |
| 29 | Florida | $49,854 |
| 30 | Washington | $51,369 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $44,764 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $42,867 |
| 33 | Montana | $41,887 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $46,490 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $40,071 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $47,506 |
| 37 | Missouri | $40,278 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $44,611 |
| 39 | Kansas | $37,646 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $44,106 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $40,966 |
| 42 | Oregon | $40,270 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,237 |
| 44 | Iowa | $39,959 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $27,832 |
| 46 | Illinois | $44,029 |
| 47 | Alabama | $30,956 |
| 48 | Texas | $34,055 |
| 49 | Virginia | $35,168 |
| 50 | Arizona | $32,998 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $33,539 |
Reader best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025