US states by average weekly wage (QCEW)

District of Columbia had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 51 states in 2021, at $2,157. Mississippi had the lowest, at $865. The median was $1,144 and the figure for the United States was $1,300. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest2,157District of Columbia

Lowest865Mississippi

Median1,14451 states

United States1,300History

Map of states, 2021

Under 1,000
1,000 to 1,100
1,100 to 1,200
1,200 to 1,400
1,400 and over

USD, 2021. 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, 2021

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	2021 USD	Change on 2020
1	District of Columbia	2,157	+4.8%
2	New York	1,693	+5.9%
3	Massachusetts	1,688	+4.8%
4	California	1,649	+7.9%
5	Washington	1,586	+7.4%
6	Connecticut	1,497	+3.4%
7	New Jersey	1,468	+3.2%
8	New Hampshire	1,386	+11.1%
9	Maryland	1,379	+4.1%
10	Colorado	1,357	+5.9%
11	Illinois	1,349	+5.8%
12	Virginia	1,307	+4.3%
13	Minnesota	1,289	+4.5%
14	Texas	1,269	+5%
15	Pennsylvania	1,244	+4.3%
16	Delaware	1,240	+3.2%
17	Oregon	1,231	+6.8%
18	Alaska	1,205	+1.5%
19	Rhode Island	1,198	+2.9%
20	Georgia	1,197	+5.7%
21	Arizona	1,187	+5.6%
22	Michigan	1,186	+3.8%
23	Florida	1,159	+7.9%
24	Hawaii	1,147	+3%
25	North Carolina	1,146	+6%
26	Nevada	1,144	+6.2%
27	Tennessee	1,137	+7.3%
28	Ohio	1,122	+4.5%
29	Utah	1,112	+5.3%
30	North Dakota	1,093	+2.4%
31	Missouri	1,086	+4.5%
32	Wisconsin	1,084	+4.7%
33	Vermont	1,083	+4.1%
34	Indiana	1,057	+5.8%
35	Maine	1,051	+5.2%
36	Alabama	1,045	+4.1%
37	Iowa	1,044	+3.8%
38	Nebraska	1,036	+4.6%
39	Louisiana	1,035	+3.6%
40	Kansas	1,027	+3.7%
41	Wyoming	1,020	+4%
42	Kentucky	1,017	+4.1%
43	New Mexico	1,010	+4.2%
44	South Carolina	1,006	+5.6%
45	Arkansas	991	+5.9%
46	Montana	987	+5.9%
46	Oklahoma	987	+3.6%
48	South Dakota	986	+4.2%
49	Idaho	976	+6.4%
50	West Virginia	971	+3.6%
51	Mississippi	865	+4.1%

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/2021/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), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021. 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), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021.

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), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{bureau_us_states_by_average_2021,
  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), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021. 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/2021/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), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/us-states?period=2021.
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/2021/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 $2,157 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Mississippi, with $865 in 2021.

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.