Pay by state · 41 states
Economist Salary by State (2026)
Economists earn the most in District of Columbia at $167,590 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $70,750 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $124,720. All 41 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $167,590District of Columbia
- National median
- $124,720BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $70,750Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 41of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Economist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of economists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $167,590 | $115,910 | $224,080 | 3,000 | $152,492 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $167,550 | $126,940 | $192,960 | 280 | $153,991 |
| 3 | DEDelaware | $159,120 | $102,270 | $167,430 | 70 | $159,426 |
| 4 | MDMaryland | $144,680 | $118,460 | $178,780 | 1,130 | $137,844 |
| 5 | KSKansas | $138,790 | $117,810 | $205,780 | 80 | $154,095 |
| 6 | VAVirginia | $137,590 | $93,920 | $179,730 | 950 | $136,088 |
| 7 | NYNew York | $136,660 | $104,420 | $224,990 | 910 | $126,630 |
| 8 | NCNorth Carolina | $136,150 | $79,790 | $172,860 | 290 | $144,340 |
| 9 | IDIdaho | $131,270 | $86,960 | $141,600 | 130 | $137,464 |
| 10 | ALAlabama | $129,960 | $91,210 | $153,570 | 40 | $146,313 |
| 11 | GAGeorgia | $122,570 | $98,790 | $162,410 | 260 | $127,289 |
| 12 | OROregon | $122,120 | $98,170 | $128,080 | 320 | $118,149 |
| 13 | TXTexas | $121,420 | $83,900 | $175,000 | 560 | $125,102 |
| 14 | COColorado | $121,410 | $82,430 | $157,350 | 240 | $117,814 |
| 15 | OHOhio | $120,000 | $89,300 | $164,700 | 140 | $129,347 |
| 16 | CACalifornia | $119,410 | $91,320 | $164,770 | 860 | $107,849 |
| 17 | TNTennessee | $117,650 | $96,170 | $145,220 | 80 | $128,061 |
| 18 | MOMissouri | $117,010 | $90,060 | $172,880 | 280 | $128,842 |
| 19 | PAPennsylvania | $115,000 | $81,470 | $138,010 | 560 | $117,862 |
| 20 | AKAlaska | $111,040 | $90,530 | $141,090 | 80 | $108,481 |
| 21 | WAWashington | $109,300 | $91,060 | $135,350 | 450 | $102,137 |
| 22 | MAMassachusetts | $106,380 | $91,690 | $155,130 | 1,030 | $100,589 |
| 23 | MIMichigan | $106,350 | $82,030 | $150,000 | 320 | $110,531 |
| 24 | MNMinnesota | $105,120 | $63,980 | $142,460 | 500 | $106,590 |
| 25 | FLFlorida | $102,430 | $72,880 | $134,180 | 500 | $99,048 |
| 26 | CTConnecticut | $101,400 | $88,440 | $129,340 | 210 | $97,867 |
| 27 | IAIowa | $96,310 | $64,210 | $133,970 | 70 | $109,740 |
| 28 | ARArkansas | $91,560 | $65,420 | $107,330 | 50 | $105,318 |
| 29 | MEMaine | $91,480 | $74,190 | $115,920 | 70 | $94,261 |
| 30 | NVNevada | $91,340 | $79,750 | $112,820 | 70 | $91,359 |
| 31 | OKOklahoma | $89,980 | $81,420 | $145,270 | 80 | $102,433 |
| 32 | MTMontana | $89,340 | $73,920 | $105,050 | 90 | $94,395 |
| 33 | NHNew Hampshire | $86,130 | $81,950 | $108,190 | 50 | $82,686 |
| 34 | WIWisconsin | $84,000 | $72,920 | $110,970 | 280 | $89,271 |
| 35 | HIHawaii | $83,050 | $71,000 | $96,390 | 50 | $75,534 |
| 36 | INIndiana | $80,750 | $47,350 | $144,640 | 80 | $86,522 |
| 37 | AZArizona | $79,610 | $79,450 | $124,920 | 340 | $79,075 |
| 38 | NENebraska | $75,880 | $56,350 | $101,540 | 90 | $84,215 |
| 39 | LALouisiana | $73,050 | $66,420 | $93,550 | 140 | $82,817 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $71,400 | $64,070 | $100,880 | 100 | $79,193 |
| 41 | PRPuerto Rico | $70,750 | $64,320 | $76,650 | 100 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Economists, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $167,590, while Delaware leads once prices are taken into account at $159,426.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Economist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Economists the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Economists at $167,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($167,550) and Delaware ($159,120).
Which state pays Economists the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Economists at $70,750 a year, $96,840 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Economists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Delaware first at $159,426 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $159,120. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.