Average Salary by State and Metro
Where you work changes what you earn, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars for the same job title. Use these median and mean wage benchmarks before you negotiate or move, and arrive with a number you can defend.
Everee Salary Compass — state and metro wage benchmarksHow to read these benchmarks
A wage benchmark is a reference point, not a verdict on your pay. Public tables describe groups of workers, and your offer sits somewhere inside that group. The useful move is to read three things together: which statistic you are looking at, how wide the spread runs, and whether the area figure matches the metro you are actually searching in.
Median, mean and percentile bands each answer a different question, and state-level figures hide variation that metro-level figures reveal. The chapters below walk through each one, then show how to carry the number into a conversation about compensation.
Median, mean and why the difference matters
Median wage is the middle of the distribution: half of workers in that occupation and area earn more, half earn less. Mean wage is the average, and it can be pulled upward by a small number of very high earners. For most job titles, median is the more honest anchor for what is typical.
Percentile bands tell you how wide the spread runs, which is often more useful than either single figure. If the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile sit far apart for your occupation, employers in that market are paying for very different levels of skill, scope or seniority under the same title.
What is typical here?
Half the workers in this occupation and area sit above the line, half below it. It is the steadiest single figure to quote.
What does the whole payroll add up to?
The mean divides total wages by total workers, so a handful of very large packages can lift it above what most people actually earn.
How wide is the spread?
The 25th, 75th and 90th percentile bands show whether an occupation pays tightly or stretches across a wide range.
When you compare two sources and they disagree, check which statistic each one used. A site quoting the mean and a site quoting the median for the same occupation can differ by thousands of dollars without either being wrong.
How geography shapes pay
Cost of living is part of the story, but not the whole story. Some metros pay a premium because of industry concentration, competition for specific skills, or a high cost of housing that employers must offset. Others pay below the national median for the same title.
A $75,000 salary in a mid-size Midwest metro and the same figure in a coastal metro can represent very different standards of living. Compare the wage benchmark alongside housing and transport costs before deciding what a move is worth.
- Industry mix A metro with a dense cluster of one sector bids up the titles that sector needs most.
- Skill scarcity When few local candidates hold a required certification, offers rise to close the gap.
- Housing pressure Employers in expensive markets often adjust pay so staff can afford to live near the office.
- Remote competition Where remote hiring is common, local tables can lag what out-of-market employers are willing to pay.
State-level benchmarks versus metro-level
State figures are a useful first filter, but they can hide a lot. A state with one large high-wage metro and a large rural population will report a median that matches neither. Metro-level data, when available, is closer to what a specific job search will encounter.
If you are comparing two cities, use metro figures. If you are comparing two states broadly, state figures give a quicker read. When the two disagree, trust the narrower geography — it describes the market you would actually be hired into.
- Comparing two cities
- Use metro-level tables. State medians blend urban and rural pay and rarely match either.
- Comparing two states
- State tables are enough for a first pass, then narrow to the metros where you would live.
- Remote or hybrid role
- Check the employer's location band as well as yours; some pay by the team's market, not yours.
Matching your occupation to the right benchmark
Job titles vary between employers. An account manager at one company may map to a client services manager at another, with different pay bands. Find the closest standard occupational classification and check whether your day-to-day work matches the description rather than the label on your contract.
Seniority shifts the benchmark too. A title with five years of experience typically sits above the median, and one with fifteen years may sit near the 75th percentile or higher. If your responsibilities have grown but your title has not, compare against the title your work actually resembles.
Adjusting for experience and scope
Public wage tables usually report all experience levels together. If you are early in a role, expect to sit below the median; if you manage a team or own a budget, expect to sit above it. Scope matters more than years in some fields.
When you bring a benchmark to a negotiation, name the percentile band you believe applies and explain why. That framing is easier to discuss than a single demand, and it gives the other side something concrete to respond to.
Early in the role
Expect a figure below the median while you build the track record the occupation table averages in.
Fully independent
You own outcomes without supervision, which usually lands at or just above the median for the title.
Leading a team or budget
Scope of responsibility, not years served, is what pushes a package toward the upper percentile bands.
Relocation math beyond the salary line
Moving for a higher salary only pays off if the total picture improves. Compare state and local income tax, housing costs, commute time, and the cash value of benefits before you accept a headline figure.
A state with no income tax may still cost more in property tax or sales tax. A higher nominal salary in an expensive metro can leave less in your account each month than a lower salary elsewhere. Run both scenarios through the salary calculator with the correct state selected and compare what actually lands.
Calculate my take-home pay
Where the data comes from and how current it is
Wage benchmarks here are anchored to public labor data, primarily the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That data is comprehensive but not instantaneous; it reflects survey periods that lag the current market by months.
In fast-moving fields, recent offers can run ahead of the published tables. Use the published figures as your floor of credibility and current offer data as a reality check. When the two diverge sharply, it usually means the occupation is being repriced faster than the survey cycle can follow.
Turning a benchmark into a conversation
Pick the median for your occupation and metro, note the 25th and 75th percentiles, and place your current or offered pay on that scale. If you are below the 25th percentile, that is a clear, factual opening. If you are near the median, shift the discussion to scope, title, or non-salary components.
Benchmarks do not win negotiations on their own, but they replace a vague feeling of being underpaid with something an employer can respond to. Bring the source, the geography and the percentile you are claiming, and keep the rest of the conversation about the work.
Questions that come up before a move
These are the points readers raise most often when they compare state and metro pay. The answers stay short on purpose; the chapters above carry the detail.
Should I quote the median or the mean in a negotiation?
Median, in almost every case. It describes what a typical worker earns in that occupation and area, and it is harder to dismiss as skewed by a few large packages. Mention the mean only when you are explaining why a competing source quoted a higher number.
Why does my state figure look wrong for my city?
State medians average every worker in the state, including rural counties and smaller metros with different pay levels. If you are searching in one city, use the metro figure and treat the state number as context rather than a target.
How old are the published wage figures?
Public labor surveys publish on a lag of several months after the period they describe. Treat them as a reliable floor for a benchmark, and treat recent offers you have seen or received as the check on how far the market has moved since.
Does a higher salary always mean more money in the bank?
No. State and local income tax, housing costs and commute expenses can absorb a large raise. Compare the two offers after deductions and housing, using the salary calculator with the correct state selected.
What if my job title does not exist in the tables?
Map your work to the closest standard occupational classification rather than searching for your exact title. Employers invent titles freely; the classification describes the tasks, and the tasks are what the wage table measures.
Can a benchmark hurt my case?
It can if you quote a national figure in a low-cost market, or a high-cost metro figure for a remote role anchored elsewhere. Match the geography and the scope to your actual situation before you put a number in the room.
A defensible number beats a headline figure
Start with the median for your occupation and the metro you are actually targeting, then widen to the percentile bands so you know how much room sits on either side. Convert the offer to take-home pay with the right state selected, and compare the full cost of living rather than the salary line alone.
If you want a second pair of eyes on the numbers, Everee Salary Compass is at 4525 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Call +1-323-555-0198 or email [email protected], Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM.