High-Paying Jobs and the Cities That Attract Them ( Kaplan Group)
Key Takeaways:
Massachusetts is the state with the highest mean annual salary at $80,330, while Mississippi lags behind as the only state below $50,000
Management Occupations offers the highest mean average salary at $137,750. Occupations within healthcare and management consistently rank among the highest-paid, with Pediatric Surgeons leading the way at $449,320.
Metropolitan areas located on the coasts, particularly in California and New York, tend to have higher average salaries. California leads the top 10 highest-paying areas for each occupational category appearing 76 times out of 220 entries.
Here is a list filtered by Mean highest salary-
District of Columbia ( $106,230)
Massachusetts ( $80,330)
New York
Washington
California
New Jersey
Connecticut
Maryland
Colorado
Virginia
Alaska
Illinois
Oregon
Minnestoa
Rhode Island
New Hampshire
Delaware
Hawaii
Arizona
Vermont
Pennsylvania
Georgia
Texas ( 61,240)
Methodology
For this study, we primarily utilized wage data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This data was categorized by both geographic area (state and metropolitan area) and occupation. To analyze the data, we conducted a comprehensive review of the mean annual salaries across different states and occupations. Additionally, we identified the top-paying states, occupations, and metropolitan areas for each category.
Commentary
Every market is different—period. Compensation in D.C. isn't the same as Colorado, and New York isn't Texas. If you're relocating from one market to another, it's on you as the candidate to understand the comp ranges, the cost of living, and how things shift by location.
One thing that holds true across the board? The more opportunity there is in a market, the more people are willing to pay. Simple as that. When there's demand and you bring real value, organizations notice—and they’ll pay for it. Your value isn’t just about the job title—it’s about what you bring to the table in that specific market.
Luke