Best states for a senior economist

Q: What is the best state for senior economists?

The best state to be a senior economist is District of Columbia based on senior economist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for senior economists?

The highest paying state for senior economists is Wyoming based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for senior economists?

The worst state for senior economists is Nebraska, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

David Bunting Ph.D.

Rank 1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 51

Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for senior economists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for senior economist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for senior economist jobs.

In order to get you the best states for senior economists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a senior economist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for senior economists in 2025

1. District of Columbia
Total senior economist jobs: 43
Average annual salary: $127,662
Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000
Location Quotient:
14.81
Senior economist jobs in District of Columbia
2. Alaska
Total senior economist jobs: 5
Average annual salary: $116,282
Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000
Location Quotient:
3.46
Senior economist jobs in Alaska
3. Washington
Total senior economist jobs: 55
Average annual salary: $113,250
Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000
Location Quotient:
4.35
Senior economist jobs in Washington
4. Vermont
Total senior economist jobs: 2
Average annual salary: $110,327
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000
Location Quotient:
1.51
Senior economist jobs in Vermont
5. Oklahoma
Total senior economist jobs: 3
Average annual salary: $112,786
Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000
Location Quotient:
0.56
Senior economist jobs in Oklahoma
6. Virginia
Total senior economist jobs: 27
Average annual salary: $113,461
Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000
Location Quotient:
1.66
Senior economist jobs in Virginia
7. South Dakota
Total senior economist jobs: 1
Average annual salary: $113,474
Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000
Location Quotient:
0.54
Senior economist jobs in South Dakota
8. Montana
Total senior economist jobs: 1
Average annual salary: $117,397
Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000
Location Quotient:
0.5
Senior economist jobs in Montana
9. Massachusetts
Total senior economist jobs: 30
Average annual salary: $109,873
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000
Location Quotient:
1.89
Senior economist jobs in Massachusetts
10. California
Total senior economist jobs: 80
Average annual salary: $118,123
Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000
Location Quotient:
1.58
Senior economist jobs in California

Senior economist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior economist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a senior economist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	District of Columbia	$127,662	$80,000	693,972	43
2	Alaska	$116,282	$77,000	739,795	5
3	Washington	$113,250	$71,000	7,405,743	55
4	Vermont	$110,327	$65,000	623,657	2
5	Oklahoma	$112,786	$69,000	3,930,864	3
6	Virginia	$113,461	$70,000	8,470,020	27
7	South Dakota	$113,474	$69,000	869,666	1
8	Montana	$117,397	$72,000	1,050,493	1
9	Massachusetts	$109,873	$65,000	6,859,819	30
10	California	$118,123	$75,000	39,536,653	80
11	North Dakota	$103,636	$63,000	755,393	2
12	Illinois	$108,342	$65,000	12,802,023	21
13	Texas	$103,469	$63,000	28,304,596	25
14	West Virginia	$102,065	$62,000	1,815,857	1
15	Nevada	$101,092	$63,000	2,998,039	2
16	Maryland	$103,042	$63,000	6,052,177	20
17	Delaware	$101,797	$62,000	961,939	2
18	New York	$103,313	$62,000	19,849,399	25
19	Iowa	$103,992	$62,000	3,145,711	1
20	Missouri	$98,192	$59,000	6,113,532	9
21	New Mexico	$94,120	$58,000	2,088,070	8
22	South Carolina	$98,446	$59,000	5,024,369	4
23	Maine	$102,570	$59,000	1,335,907	0
24	Kansas	$99,246	$60,000	2,913,123	0
25	Utah	$97,115	$59,000	3,101,833	2
26	Mississippi	$93,865	$56,000	2,984,100	2
27	Kentucky	$96,260	$57,000	4,454,189	2
28	Colorado	$93,306	$56,000	5,607,154	20
29	Oregon	$93,862	$58,000	4,142,776	6
30	Rhode Island	$97,634	$58,000	1,059,639	0
31	Louisiana	$89,256	$53,000	4,684,333	5
32	Hawaii	$88,803	$55,000	1,427,538	3
33	New Hampshire	$93,114	$54,000	1,342,795	1
34	Michigan	$90,160	$54,000	9,962,311	6
35	Pennsylvania	$85,885	$52,000	12,805,537	11
36	Connecticut	$96,006	$57,000	3,588,184	1
37	Ohio	$84,452	$50,000	11,658,609	9
38	Minnesota	$91,731	$54,000	5,576,606	3
39	Arkansas	$83,997	$50,000	3,004,279	2
40	New Jersey	$83,671	$50,000	9,005,644	8
41	North Carolina	$83,035	$50,000	10,273,419	9
42	Indiana	$84,555	$50,000	6,666,818	3
43	Georgia	$84,489	$50,000	10,429,379	7
44	Wyoming	$59,387	$35,000	579,315	3
45	Idaho	$64,314	$39,000	1,716,943	3
46	Florida	$72,180	$42,000	20,984,400	13
47	Alabama	$75,954	$45,000	4,874,747	1
48	Arizona	$69,686	$43,000	7,016,270	2
49	Wisconsin	$65,671	$39,000	5,795,483	2
50	Tennessee	$61,873	$37,000	6,715,984	2
51	Nebraska	$59,667	$35,000	1,920,076	1

Highest paying states for senior economists

Rank	State	Avg. Senior Economist Salary
1	District of Columbia	$127,662
2	Alaska	$116,282
3	Washington	$113,250
4	Vermont	$110,327
5	Oklahoma	$112,786
6	Virginia	$113,461
7	South Dakota	$113,474
8	Montana	$117,397
9	Massachusetts	$109,873
10	California	$118,123
11	North Dakota	$103,636
12	Illinois	$108,342
13	Texas	$103,469
14	West Virginia	$102,065
15	Nevada	$101,092
16	Maryland	$103,042
17	Delaware	$101,797
18	New York	$103,313
19	Iowa	$103,992
20	Missouri	$98,192
21	New Mexico	$94,120
22	South Carolina	$98,446
23	Maine	$102,570
24	Kansas	$99,246
25	Utah	$97,115
26	Mississippi	$93,865
27	Kentucky	$96,260
28	Colorado	$93,306
29	Oregon	$93,862
30	Rhode Island	$97,634
31	Louisiana	$89,256
32	Hawaii	$88,803
33	New Hampshire	$93,114
34	Michigan	$90,160
35	Pennsylvania	$85,885
36	Connecticut	$96,006
37	Ohio	$84,452
38	Minnesota	$91,731
39	Arkansas	$83,997
40	New Jersey	$83,671
41	North Carolina	$83,035
42	Indiana	$84,555
43	Georgia	$84,489
44	Wyoming	$59,387
45	Idaho	$64,314
46	Florida	$72,180
47	Alabama	$75,954
48	Arizona	$69,686
49	Wisconsin	$65,671
50	Tennessee	$61,873
51	Nebraska	$59,667

Expert opinions on the best states for senior economists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior economists to find work opportunities?
David Bunting Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, Eastern Washington University
Go where the jobs are; move to larger cities because of more employers.

Senior economist best states FAQs

What is the best state for senior economists?

What is the highest paying state for senior economists?

What is the worst state for senior economists?

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Senior Economist
Best states for Senior Economists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total senior economist jobs:	43
Average annual salary:	$127,662
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$80,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$202,000
Location Quotient:	14.81

Best states for a senior economist

10 best states for senior economists in 2025

1. District of Columbia

2. Alaska

3. Washington

4. Vermont

5. Oklahoma

6. Virginia

7. South Dakota

8. Montana

9. Massachusetts

10. California