US states by average weekly wage (QCEW)

District of Columbia had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 51 states in 2018, at $1,844. Mississippi had the lowest, at $765. The median was $973 and the figure for the United States was $1,101. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest1,844District of Columbia

Lowest765Mississippi

Median97351 states

United States1,101History

Map of states, 2018

Under 890
890 to 920
920 to 970
970 to 1,000
1,000 to 1,100
1,100 and over

USD, 2018. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2018

USD. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	States	2018 USD	Change on 2017
1	District of Columbia	1,844	+3.6%
2	New York	1,402	+3.2%
3	Massachusetts	1,396	+3.8%
4	California	1,317	+4%
5	Connecticut	1,303	+1.7%
6	Washington	1,272	+6.6%
7	New Jersey	1,264	+2.6%
8	Maryland	1,176	+2.6%
9	Illinois	1,153	+3.4%
10	Colorado	1,133	+3.5%
11	Virginia	1,120	+3%
12	Minnesota	1,116	+3.3%
13	Texas	1,111	+3.5%
14	Delaware	1,093	+1.8%
15	New Hampshire	1,092	+3%
16	Alaska	1,071	+3.7%
17	Pennsylvania	1,070	+3.1%
18	Michigan	1,035	+2.6%
19	Rhode Island	1,033	+1.7%
20	Georgia	1,029	+2.5%
21	Oregon	1,020	+3.8%
22	North Dakota	1,007	+4%
23	Arizona	997	+3.4%
24	Hawaii	980	+2.6%
25	North Carolina	976	+3.7%
26	Ohio	973	+3%
27	Tennessee	970	+3.3%
28	Florida	963	+3.3%
29	Nevada	962	+3.9%
30	Missouri	943	+3.5%
31	Wisconsin	940	+3.5%
32	Utah	933	+4.1%
33	Louisiana	925	+3.5%
34	Wyoming	924	+3.8%
35	Vermont	916	+3.2%
36	Indiana	915	+3%
37	Iowa	914	+3.2%
38	Alabama	912	+3.1%
39	Oklahoma	899	+3.6%
40	Kansas	896	+3.2%
41	Kentucky	890	+2.4%
41	Nebraska	890	+3.1%
43	West Virginia	887	+6.2%
44	Maine	872	+3.3%
45	New Mexico	869	+3.8%
46	South Carolina	860	+1.2%
47	Arkansas	845	+2.3%
48	South Dakota	840	+2.9%
49	Montana	835	+3.2%
50	Idaho	825	+3.8%
51	Mississippi	765	+2.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{bureau_us_states_by_average_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: US states by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2018/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

Which state has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

District of Columbia, with $1,844 in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Mississippi, with $765 in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.