Get Paid WAY Higher Wages When You Live In The Right Place

Do you want to make 30% more money than you already do for the exact same job? How about 66% more? Or 120% more?! Of course you would opt to make more money to do the same thing. So why don’t you?

Let’s say that two health educators meet at professional development convention. They discuss their wages. One makes the national average, $55,260 per year. The other one, from Maryland, makes $86,540 per year. That’s 57% more money! All because she lives in a state where the average pay for that job is much higher. They both do the same job. One just makes more money because she lives in the “right” place.

When it comes to work, where you live matters. In some states you get paid way higher wages compared to other states to do the exact same job. This eye-opening post from Business Insider titled, “Here’s The Most Disproportionately High-Paying Job In Every State” proves it.

Should You Relocate For A Job?

Business Insider used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. This program looks at employment and wage information at national, state, and local levels. BI then narrowed down the data to highlight “the occupation in each state with the biggest percent difference between the state average salary and the national average salary.” 

The following information is taken directly from BI. It is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and calculations from Business Insider.  For each state, you will find the featured jobs full title, the average state wage, and the percentage increase compared to the national average. Let’s take a look:

1. Alabama – Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders – $39,370 – 18%
2. Alaska – Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers – $71,910 – 80%
3. Arizona – Lodging Managers – $79,990 – 40%
4. Arkansas – Coaches and Scouts – $49,610 – 27%
5. California – Judges, Magistrate Judges, Magistrates – $172,660 – 62%
6. Colorado – Legislators – $60,650 – 50%
7. Connecticut – Cargo and Freight Agents – $65,100 – 48%
8. Delaware – Natural Sciences Managers – $183,840 – 35%
9. District Of Columbia – Printing Press Operators – $80,690 – 120%
10. Florida – Coaches and Scouts – $52,500 – 34%
11. Georgia – Health Educators – $76,170 – 38%
12. Hawaii – Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers – $36,280 – 73%
13. Idaho – Logging Equipment Operators – $49,810 – 39%
14. Illinois – Insulation Workers, Mechanical – $78,420 – 56%
15. Indiana – Insulation Workers, Mechanical – $83,140 – 66%
16. Iowa – Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse – $26,170 – 26%
17. Kansas – Gaming Dealers – $28,960 – 38%
18. Kentucky – Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other – $44,710 – 34%
19. Louisiana – Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders – $63,350 – 29%
20. Maine – Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders – $51,350 – 56%
21. Maryland – Health Educators – $86,540 – 57%
22. Massachusetts – Tile and Marble Setters – $75,050 – 70%
23. Michigan – Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents – $71,520 – 26%
24. Minnesota – Insulation Workers, Mechanical – $69,810 – 39%
25. Mississippi – Coaches and Scouts – $52,580 – 34%
26. Missouri – Helpers-Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters – $42,950 – 37%
27. Montana – Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing – $35,460 – 24%
28. Nebraska – Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse – $25,510 – 23%
29. Nevada – Physical Therapists – $127,900 – 52%
30. New Hampshire – Education, Training, and Library Workers, All Other – $52,380 – 24%
31. New Jersey – First Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers – $105,220 – 70%
32. New Mexico – Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other – $67,850 – 42%
33. New York – Judicial Law Clerks – $111,130 – 104%
34. North Carolina – Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, ad Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders – $54,990 – 34%
35. North Dakota – Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers – $62,010 – 61%
36. Ohio – Dentists, All Other Specialists – $219,480 – 30%
37. Oklahoma – Optometrists – $146,330 – 29%
38. Oregon – Skincare Specialists – $50790 – 50%
39. Pennsylvania – Athletes and Sports Competitors – $130,250 – 66%
40. Rhode Island – Teachers and Instructors, All Other, Except Substitute Teachers – $74,160 – 55%
41. South Carolina – Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic – $44,030 – 30%
42. South Dakota – Home Health Aides – $25,440 – 14%
43. Tennessee – Coaches and Scouts – $48,480 – 24%
44. Texas – Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers – $143,370 – 42%
45. Utah – Postsecondary Teachers, All Other – $102,110 – 38%
46. Vermont – Waiters and Waitresses – $29,900 – 38%
47. Virginia – Legal Support Workers, All Other – $100,030 – 58%
48. Washington – Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics – $57,850 – 65%
49. West Virginia – Conveyor Operators and Tenders – $49,960 – 47%
50. Wisconsin – Nurse Anesthetists – $214,150 – 35%
51. Wyoming – Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators – $61,740 – 40%

Please visit the Business Insider post to see the national average salary of each of these jobs. Plus, that post features a cool map highlighting all of the above jobs based on location!

If you have one of these jobs, why wouldn’t you want to move to a new location where you get paid significantly more? Is it time to relocate?

Use this information to help you focus your job search on different jobs and on different locations. Take the time to do your research. It will pay off in the long run.