How Much You Need To Earn To Rank in the Top 10% of Your State
We’d like to think that everyone earns a living wage, and that there’s more than enough to go around. Yet in every state, there are people who live paycheck to paycheck, and at the same time, there are others who earn in the top 10%, leaving a sizable gap between them.
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And between states, the median household income and the wages earned by the top 10% vary greatly. To help highlight the disparities, GOBankingRates analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2022 American Community Survey to determine the top quintile (20%) income and the amount earned by the top 10% of earners in each state. GOBankingRates then compared this figure to the overall median household income in the U.S. for context.
If you’re looking to earn more and have some flexibility to relocate, you can check out the average salaries in nearby states to see if you might be able to boost your income. Even if you remain in your home state, there are plenty of jobs that pay far above the median incomes listed below.
Alabama
Median income: $59,609
Top 10% income: $211,617
The top 10% earners in Alabama make 255% — or $152,008 more — than those who make the median household income.
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Alaska
Median income: $86,370
Top 10% income: $259,276
Top earners in Alaska earn three times the amount of the median income and 200% more than the median income.
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Arizona
Median income: $72,581
Top 10% income: $245,481
Arizona has a significant wealth gap between average earners and the top 10%, who pull down 239% more than the median income. That translates to a $172,900 difference between median and top 10% earners.
Arkansas
Median income: $56,335
Top 10% income: $205,342
Arkansas’ median income is almost $19,000 less than the national average, but earners in the top 10% pull down 265% more than the average earner.
California
Median income: $91,905
Top 10% income: $341,276
Living in pricey California requires a big income, and the top 10% earn an average of $341,276 — almost $68,000 above the national average for the top 10%.
Colorado
Median income: $87,598
Top 10% income: $289,682
The gap between average and top earners in Colorado is significant at $202,084, about $4,000 over the national average for top 10% earners.
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Connecticut
Median income: $90,213
Top 10% income: $346,894
Connecticut has the second-highest top 10% income. However, its median household income ranks only eighth, with the top 10% bringing in 3.85 times the median household income.
Delaware
Median income: $79,325
Top 10% income: $254,449
In Delaware, the paycheck of the median earner exceeds the national average. However, the top 10% figure falls about $19,000 below the benchmark.
Florida
Median income: $67,917
Top 10% income: $253,154
Median earners in Florida bring in about $7,000 less than the national average, and the top 10% group doesn’t fare any better. The top 10% earners have annual incomes of about $20,000 less than the national average.
Georgia
Median income: $71,355
Top 10% income: $254,523
In terms of dollar amount, the gap between the top 10% earners and the median salary averages $183,168 per year.
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Hawaii
Median income: $94,814
Top 10% income: $296,125
For a state where everything is more expensive, Hawaii has one of the smallest gaps between the top and median earners at 212%.
Idaho
Median income: $70,214
Top 10% income: $225,262
The gap between median and top earners in Idaho is 221%, or $155,048 per year.
Illinois
Median income: $78,433
Top 10% income: $279,446
Workers in Illinois earn slightly more than the median and top 10% national averages. But that translates into a whopping $201,013 higher average earnings for those who fall in the top 10%.
Indiana
Median income: $67,173
Top 10% income: $216,840
The gap between top and median earners in Indiana is considerably less than in neighboring Illinois, coming in at $149,667.
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Iowa
Median income: $70,571
Top 10% income: $221,359
Median earners in Iowa are making just about $5,000 less than the national average. The top 10% of earners have wages that are 3.14 times higher than that median group.
Kansas
Median income: $69,747
Top 10% income: $233,550
Kansas’s top 10% earns 235% more than its median earners on average.
Kentucky
Median income: $60,183
Top 10% income: $211,084
Kentucky, like several other Southern states, has a relatively low median income — the seventh lowest in the study, which makes the top 10% wage gap even bigger, at 251%.
Louisiana
Median income: $57,852
Top 10% income: $217,082
Louisiana’s median income is lower than Kentucky’s — it’s the fourth lowest overall — but the wage gap between the top 10% and the median earner is even higher, at 275%, the third biggest wage gap in the country.
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Maine
Median income: $68,251
Top 10% income: $225,290
If you earn the median income in Maine and want to jump up to the top 10% of earners, you’ll need to raise your salary by 230%.
Maryland
Median income: $98,461
Top 10% income: $317,322
The average salary of the top 10% earners in Maryland is the sixth highest in the study — and 222% higher than the median. That’s even considering that the average median household earnings in the state are the highest in the nation.
Massachusetts
Median income: $96,505
Top 10% income: $347,620
The top 10% of earners make just shy of $350,000 a year, the highest amount on the list. The median household income also is significant and stands No. 3 in the study.
Michigan
Median income: $68,505
Top 10% income: $231,775
If you’re a top 10% earner in Michigan, you’re pulling down 238% more than what median income workers make.
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Minnesota
Median income: $84,313
Top 10% income: $271,326
The spread between the median income and the top 10% of earners in Minnesota is 222% — or $187,013.
Mississippi
Median income: $52,985
Top 10% income: $189,937
Mississippi’s median wage is the lowest in the study at $52,985. The state is one of two where the top 10% averages less than $200,000 annually.
Missouri
Median income: $65,920
Top 10% income: $225,585
While median earners are pulling in about $9,000 less than the national average, the top 10% are earning almost $160,000 more than the median earner per year.
Montana
Median income: $66,341
Top 10% income: $226,337
The top 10% of earners in Montana pull down 3.41 times the amount of the median wage.
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Nebraska
Median income: $71,722
Top 10% income: $234,158
Nebraska sits at No. 26 in terms of median household income, which is about $3,500 less than the national average.
Nevada
Median income: $71,646
Top 10% income: $246,240
In Nevada, the median earner is earning a few thousand dollars less than the national average. However, the top 10% is earning $174,594 above median earners per year.
New Hampshire
Median income: $90,845
Top 10% income: $283,642
With median earners in New Hampshire earning a decent wage, well above the national average, it’s no surprise the gap between them and the top 10% is one of the smaller ones on this list, at 212%.
New Jersey
Median income: $97,126
Top 10% income: $346,846
The top 10% of earners in New Jersey earn just more than $73,000 of the national average for top earners, and its median household income earners fare well, too. In fact, the median income of $97,126 puts workers in the Garden State No. 2 in that category on the list.
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New Mexico
Median income: $58,722
Top 10% income: $205,300
The pay of New Mexico’s median wage earners and the top 10% fall well below the national average on both counts.
New York
Median income: $81,386
Top 10% income: $328,198
The gap between the top 10% and the median income in New York is the highest in the country at 303%.
North Carolina
Median income: $66,186
Top 10% income: $238,075
North Carolina’s median income is almost $9,000 below the national average, and the top 10% group comes in about $35,000 under the average. However, the top 10% are still making a significant $171,889 more than median earners.
North Dakota
Median income: $73,959
Top 10% income: $236,887
In North Dakota, where the median household makes just a bit below the national average, the gap between the top 10% and the median is a slightly smaller 220%.
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Ohio
Median income: $66,990
Top 10% income: $227,669
Ohio’s median earners are eking out a below average income, while the top 10% is making 240% more than the median group in Ohio.
Oklahoma
Median income: $61,364
Top 10% income: $211,909
Oklahoma’s median income ranks in the bottom 10 of earnings in the study. The top 10% earn $150,545 more than the median income, a spread of 245%.
Oregon
Median income: $76,632
Top 10% income: $256,666
Oregon’s median income is just above the national average. The top 10% here are not making quite as much as in other states — the group’s earnings fall about $17,000 below the national average — with a gap of 235% between pay groups.
Pennsylvania
Median income: $73,170
Top 10% income: $255,677
In Pennsylvania, the top 10% are earning $182,507 more than the median earner, a spread of 249%.
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Rhode Island
Median income: $81,370
Top 10% income: $261,998
The spread between Rhode Island’s top 10% and its median income is on the smaller side for this list at 222%.
South Carolina
Median income: $63,623
Top 10% income: $226,067
The incomes of median earners in South Carolina are among the lower ones on this list, yet, surprisingly, the gap between median and top 10% earners is a hefty 255%.
South Dakota
Median income: $69,457
Top 10% income: $219,373
South Dakota’s top 10% is earning $149,916 more than its median earners, a spread of 216%.
Tennessee
Median income: $64,035
Top 10% income: $228,076
Tennessee’s top 10% earns $164,041 more than the median earner, a significant spread of 256%.
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Texas
Median income: $73,035
Top 10% income: $260,767
Texas’ top 10% of earners enjoy wages a significant 257% above the state’s median income. Still, the income of both groups falls below the national average.
Utah
Median income: $86,833
Top 10% income: $263,007
Utah has a decent median income above the national average, but its top 10% earns a relatively low 203% more.
Vermont
Median income: $74,014
Top 10% income: $236,898
Vermont’s top 10% of earners are making 220% more than the median, or $162,884.
Virginia
Median income: $87,249
Top 10% income: $305,438
Virginia is one of eight states on the list where the top 10% of earners exceed $300,000. Despite a better-than-average paycheck for median-income earners, the top group makes $218,189 more than the lower group.
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Washington
Median income: $90,325
Top 10% income: $307,971
Washington’s numbers are similar to those in Virginia, with the state’s top 10% bringing in $217,646 more than the lower group.
West Virginia
Median income: $55,217
Top 10% income: $189,922
The median income in West Virginia is the second lowest on this list, with the top 10% drawing 244% more than median wage earners. Still, the annual average income for the top 10% is the lowest in the study.
Wisconsin
Median income: $72,458
Top 10% income: $229,027
Wages are below the national average in Wisconsin, but so is the spread between the top 10% and the median income. At $156,569, that disparity translates to 216%. The top 10% earners receive about $40,000 per year below the average in the category.
Wyoming
Median income: $72,495
Top 10% income: $229,134
The numbers in Wyoming are nearly identical to those in Wisconsin, with the top 10% group also earning in the $156,000 range and 216% above the median income.
Jordan Rosenfeld and John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2022 American Community Survey on the mean income in the top quintile (20%) of earners to estimate earnings for the top 10%. GOBankingRates then compared this figure to the overall median household income in the U.S. for context. All data was collected on and up to date as of Feb. 21, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Earn To Rank in the Top 10% of Your State
