Life

States where wages are growing fastest in America

By Stacker

November 1, 2022 11:39 AM

Published October 31, 2022 11:42 PM

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

States where wages are growing fastest in America

Close-up of a business woman handing a check over

Did you receive a pay raise this year? If so, and it was enough to offset the increasing prices amid record inflation, polling suggests you’re in the minority.

Only 17% of Americans said their wages had kept up with record rates of inflation in early 2022, according to a poll commissioned by The New York Times. The prices of all goods and services went from increasing at a 2% rate annually in March 2021 to 8.5% by March 2022.

Earnings growth largely stagnated over the last decade for the typical American worker, growing at a rate of about 2% each year—a rate that began ticking upward as the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival in 2020 put immense pressure on the U.S. workforce.

Women abandoned the workforce in droves as schools closed temporarily to in-person learning. Many child care providers also were forced to shutter permanently as families sheltered at home. Many older workers nearing retirement left their jobs. Since economies began roaring back to life across the country, employers struggled to find and attract workers and raise pay to entice new hires.

To identify the states where American workers have made the most gains, Stacker collected data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing the percent change in average weekly wages by state for the first quarter of 2022. States are ranked based on the percent change between the first quarter of 2021 and 2022. Any ties were broken by looking at a more precise calculation.

With a 2-1 ratio of job openings to people in the workforce for most of this year, workers have discovered newfound leverage to obtain higher pay and benefits by switching jobs.

Connecticut had the largest net change in average weekly wages, with an increase of $145. Connecticut is home to a large financial services industry and a relatively wealthy population compared to the rest of the nation, though, and ranked among the top 10 in terms of year-over-year change. The state that saw the largest percentage increase in wages year over year was Wyoming.

New York has the highest average weekly wages, at $1,972; Mississippi has the lowest, at $879. In Mississippi, however, the typical worker saw their pay increase by $69 from 2021 to 2022, ranking the Southern U.S. state in the upper half of wage growth. Mississippi is among the five states with no minimum wage law, and a legislative proposal to institute and gradually raise a minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2025 failed to become law this year.

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San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers // Getty Images

#50. California

Employees at work inside the offices of Highfive in Redwood City

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 1.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,644
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,627
– Net increase: $17

Jeff Greenberg // Getty Images

#49. Maryland

Front desk registration employees at a hotel

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 2.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,410
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,382
– Net increase: $28

EchoVisuals // Shutterstock

#48. Washington

Starbucks employees working

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 3.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,596
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,538
– Net increase: $58

Jeff Whyte // Shutterstock

#47. Hawaii

Busy intersection in the evening along the famous Kalakaua shopping district

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 4.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,135
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,089
– Net increase: $46

Mark Makela // Getty Images

#46. New Jersey

Employees work at an Amazon Fulfillment Center

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 4.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,606
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,535
– Net increase: $71

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Darryl Brooks // Shutterstock

#45. Alaska

Ketchikan shopping district

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 4.9%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,178
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,123
– Net increase: $55

Nick Starichenko // Shutterstock

#44. New York

Businessman crossing the street on crosswalk

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 5.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,972
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,868
– Net increase: $104

Boston Globe // Getty Images

#43. Massachusetts

Employees at work in the Kayak office

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 5.9%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,827
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,726
– Net increase: $101

Khairil Azhar Junos // Shutterstock

#42. West Virginia

Residential and commercial buildings in West Virginia

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.1%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $968
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $912
– Net increase: $56

Bill Pugliano // Getty Images

#41. Michigan

A worker handle parts for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,225
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,154
– Net increase: $71

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Robert Alexander // Getty Images

#40. New Mexico

An employee works at her computer in a home and office furniture and accessory store

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,018
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $956
– Net increase: $62

ImagineerInc // Shutterstock

#39. Virginia

The Downtown Mall in Charlottesville

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,366
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,282
– Net increase: $84

littlenySTOCK // Shutterstock

#38. Rhode Island

Street scene from the town of Newport, Rhode Island

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,249
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,170
– Net increase: $79

Joe Ferrer // Shutterstock

#37. Minnesota

Workers install solar carport

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,374
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,287
– Net increase: $87

Ludmila Ruzickova // Shutterstock

#36. Pennsylvania

Long street of historical part of Harrisburg

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.9%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,309
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,225
– Net increase: $84

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#35. North Dakota

Aerial view of Jamestown, North Dakota

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 6.9%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,106
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,035
– Net increase: $71

LanaG // Shutterstock

#34. Missouri

Window washer stands on ladder holding squeegee

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,128
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,054
– Net increase: $74

Sorbis // Shutterstock

#33. Illinois

Inside of Starbucks in Seattle

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.3%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,487
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,386
– Net increase: $101

Torgado // Shutterstock

#32. Oregon

Man wearing a headset working at a technology company call center

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.4%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,259
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,172
– Net increase: $87

Dustin Franz for The Washington Post // Getty Images

#31. Ohio

A chef works with his employees at a restaurant

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,179
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,097
– Net increase: $82

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#30. Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona, downtown cityscape

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,234
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,148
– Net increase: $86

quiggyt4 // Shutterstock

#29. Delaware

View of the skyline of downtown Wilmington

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,362
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,267
– Net increase: $95

4kclips // Shutterstock

#28. Kentucky

Street view in Louisville downtown

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,038
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $965
– Net increase: $73

f11photo // Shutterstock

#27. Iowa

Des Moines Iowa skyline

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,080
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,004
– Net increase: $76

Robert Nickelsberg // Getty Images

#26. Vermont

Employees at the Simon Pearce glass company work on a handmade goblet

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.7%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,107
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,028
– Net increase: $79

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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#25. New Hampshire

Historic town center of Exeter, New Hampshire

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 7.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,361
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,262
– Net increase: $99

RYO Alexandre // Shutterstock

#24. Nevada

Lobby and front desk of the newly opened hotel

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,164
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,078
– Net increase: $86

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#23. Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, downtown skyline

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,012
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $937
– Net increase: $75

George Frey // Getty Images

#22. Utah

A pharmacy technician grabs a bottle of drugs off a shelve

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,152
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,065
– Net increase: $87

Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock

#21. Alabama

Aerial view of downtown Mobile, Alabama

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,072
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $991
– Net increase: $81

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melissamn // Shutterstock

#20. Montana

Downtown streets of the small tourist town of Red Lodge

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.3%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $991
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $915
– Net increase: $76

B Brown // Shutterstock

#19. Idaho

A worker operating a CNC router mill

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $982
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $905
– Net increase: $77

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#18. Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi, cityscape at dusk

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.5%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $879
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $810
– Net increase: $69

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#17. South Dakota

Aerial view of the Sioux Falls Suburb of Canton, South Dakota

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,012
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $932
– Net increase: $80

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#16. Louisiana

New Orleans bars and restaurants in the day

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.6%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,058
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $974
– Net increase: $84

PJiiiJane // Shutterstock

#15. Wisconsin

Walmart employees sorting products

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.7%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,137
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,046
– Net increase: $91

Grossinger // Shutterstock

#14. Texas

Construction workers in downtown El Paso, Texas

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.7%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,369
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,259
– Net increase: $110

RodClementPhotography // Shutterstock

#13. Georgia

Aerial view downtown Atlanta skyline

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,301
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,196
– Net increase: $105

Cara Siera // Shutterstock

#12. Tennessee

Employees work on LG washing machines

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,172
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,077
– Net increase: $95

Joe Amon // Getty Images

#11. Colorado

An employee working in her office at a desk

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 8.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,455
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,337
– Net increase: $118

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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#10. Kansas

Aerial view of Lawrence, Kansas

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.0%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,073
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $984
– Net increase: $89

Henryk Sadura // Shutterstock

#9. Nebraska

Skyline of Omaha, Nebraska

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,079
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $988
– Net increase: $91

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#8. South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina, downtown buildings

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,043
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $955
– Net increase: $88

GREG PATTON // Shutterstock

#7. Connecticut

Team of consturction workers working with concrete

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,716
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,571
– Net increase: $145

Joseph K Fuller // Shutterstock

#6. North Carolina

Construction workers welding

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,241
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,136
– Net increase: $105

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John Gress Media Inc // Shutterstock

#5. Indiana

Workers in a car body shop

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 9.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,127
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,026
– Net increase: $101

Boston Globe // Getty Images

#4. Maine

Factory worker uses a die cutting machine

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 10.3%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,103
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,000
– Net increase: $103

Joe Raedle // Getty Images

#3. Florida

A Target store employee collects shopping carts

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 10.8%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,222
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $1,103
– Net increase: $119

shuttersv // Shutterstock

#2. Arkansas

View of Walmart Museum downtown Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 10.9%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,060
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $956
– Net increase: $104

Kit Leong // Shutterstock

#1. Wyoming

Sunny cityscape of downtown Cheyenne

– 1-year increase in weekly wages: 11.2%
– Q1 2022 average weekly wages: $1,059
– Q1 2021 average weekly wages: $952
– Net increase: $107

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