Throughout the U.S., workers earn a median annual wage of about $48,080, according to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But in the three states where workers earn the least, the median annual wage sits below $40,000 a year. And notably, all but two of the 10 lowest-earning states are in the South.
| Bottom 10 states |
|
| Mississippi |
$37,500 |
| Arkansas |
$39,060 |
| W. Virginia |
$39,770 |
| Louisiana |
$41,320 |
| Alabama |
$41,350 |
| Oklahoma |
$41,480 |
| S. Carolina |
$42,220 |
| New Mexico |
$43,620 |
| S. Dakota |
$43,680 |
| Kentucky |
$43,730 |
Mississippi has the lowest-earning population in the U.S. with a median annual wage of just $37,500, according to the BLS.
That’s due, in part, to the fact that Mississippi has one of the least-educated populations in the country, with just 1 in 4 adults in the state holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to St. Louis Fed data.
More education typically correlates with higher earnings, which helps explain why Massachusetts — the most-educated state, with nearly 47% of its population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher — is also the highest-paid, according to the St. Louis Fed.