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Best states for a subject matter expert
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to subject matter expert 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. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of subject matter experts in America is $146,000.
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 subject matter experts.We found that the Midwest is best for subject matter experts, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for subject matter expert jobs, where as Maryland is the best state in the country.
10 best states for subject matter experts in 2025
1. Maryland
Total subject matter expert jobs: 744 Average annual salary: $119,501 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. New Jersey
Total subject matter expert jobs: 791 Average annual salary: $113,151 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
3. California
Total subject matter expert jobs: 2,958 Average annual salary: $119,610 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
4. Texas
Total subject matter expert jobs: 1,669 Average annual salary: $109,779 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. Virginia
Total subject matter expert jobs: 1,372 Average annual salary: $108,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
6. Massachusetts
Total subject matter expert jobs: 860 Average annual salary: $110,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
7. District of Columbia
Total subject matter expert jobs: 515 Average annual salary: $117,952 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 3.51
8. Connecticut
Total subject matter expert jobs: 300 Average annual salary: $109,419 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
9. Arizona
Total subject matter expert jobs: 577 Average annual salary: $103,423 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
10. Washington
Total subject matter expert jobs: 450 Average annual salary: $115,669 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
Subject matter expert jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a subject matter expert
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a subject matter expert
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $119,501 | $81,000 | 6,052,177 | 744 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $113,151 | $76,000 | 9,005,644 | 791 |
| 3 | California | $119,610 | $81,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,958 |
| 4 | Texas | $109,779 | $73,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,669 |
| 5 | Virginia | $108,792 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,372 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $110,128 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 860 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $117,952 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 515 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $109,419 | $74,000 | 3,588,184 | 300 |
| 9 | Arizona | $103,423 | $70,000 | 7,016,270 | 577 |
| 10 | Washington | $115,669 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 450 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $109,685 | $72,000 | 4,684,333 | 188 |
| 12 | Illinois | $103,050 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,178 |
| 13 | Colorado | $107,050 | $73,000 | 5,607,154 | 547 |
| 14 | Alaska | $112,719 | $96,000 | 739,795 | 64 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $98,463 | $66,000 | 1,059,639 | 129 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $103,420 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 494 |
| 17 | Alabama | $97,835 | $65,000 | 4,874,747 | 396 |
| 18 | New York | $104,889 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,378 |
| 19 | Nevada | $98,391 | $67,000 | 2,998,039 | 194 |
| 20 | Michigan | $100,630 | $67,000 | 9,962,311 | 545 |
| 21 | Iowa | $105,695 | $71,000 | 3,145,711 | 164 |
| 22 | Ohio | $97,289 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 803 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $97,074 | $65,000 | 12,805,537 | 955 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $101,585 | $68,000 | 5,795,483 | 287 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $96,086 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 819 |
| 26 | Georgia | $96,467 | $65,000 | 10,429,379 | 919 |
| 27 | Missouri | $97,879 | $66,000 | 6,113,532 | 418 |
| 28 | Delaware | $96,868 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 119 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $97,550 | $66,000 | 3,930,864 | 166 |
| 30 | Utah | $89,398 | $61,000 | 3,101,833 | 309 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $91,059 | $63,000 | 579,315 | 39 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $91,014 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 76 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $91,235 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 141 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $89,633 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 69 |
| 35 | Oregon | $90,759 | $64,000 | 4,142,776 | 382 |
| 36 | Indiana | $90,121 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 449 |
| 37 | Maine | $92,587 | $63,000 | 1,335,907 | 72 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $90,614 | $61,000 | 5,024,369 | 257 |
| 39 | Idaho | $89,813 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 121 |
| 40 | Vermont | $92,626 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 49 |
| 41 | Florida | $86,789 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,353 |
| 42 | Kansas | $88,499 | $60,000 | 2,913,123 | 200 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $66,523 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 187 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $88,704 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 137 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $87,557 | $59,000 | 4,454,189 | 227 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $88,607 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 125 |
| 47 | Montana | $84,737 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 83 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $84,016 | $57,000 | 6,715,984 | 374 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $75,776 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 175 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $82,708 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 89 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $76,254 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 52 |
Highest paying states for subject matter experts
| Rank | State | Avg. Subject Matter Expert Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $119,501 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $113,151 |
| 3 | California | $119,610 |
| 4 | Texas | $109,779 |
| 5 | Virginia | $108,792 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $110,128 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $117,952 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $109,419 |
| 9 | Arizona | $103,423 |
| 10 | Washington | $115,669 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $109,685 |
| 12 | Illinois | $103,050 |
| 13 | Colorado | $107,050 |
| 14 | Alaska | $112,719 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $98,463 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $103,420 |
| 17 | Alabama | $97,835 |
| 18 | New York | $104,889 |
| 19 | Nevada | $98,391 |
| 20 | Michigan | $100,630 |
| 21 | Iowa | $105,695 |
| 22 | Ohio | $97,289 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $97,074 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $101,585 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $96,086 |
| 26 | Georgia | $96,467 |
| 27 | Missouri | $97,879 |
| 28 | Delaware | $96,868 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $97,550 |
| 30 | Utah | $89,398 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $91,059 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $91,014 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $91,235 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $89,633 |
| 35 | Oregon | $90,759 |
| 36 | Indiana | $90,121 |
| 37 | Maine | $92,587 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $90,614 |
| 39 | Idaho | $89,813 |
| 40 | Vermont | $92,626 |
| 41 | Florida | $86,789 |
| 42 | Kansas | $88,499 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $66,523 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $88,704 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $87,557 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $88,607 |
| 47 | Montana | $84,737 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $84,016 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $75,776 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $82,708 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $76,254 |
Subject matter expert best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025