occupation · 19-3011 · detailed
Economists — wages and employment
Economists earned a median annual wage of $115,440 in the United States in May 2024, with 15,880 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Economists earned a median annual wage of $115,440 in the United States in May 2024, with 15,880 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $62,340 or less, the best-paid tenth $212,710 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $115,730 to $115,440, -0.3 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $162,610; the lowest South Carolina at $51,980. Among metropolitan areas, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ pays the highest median, $168,850. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 15,880 | $115,440 | $130,910 | $62,340 | $82,260 | $166,030 | $212,710 | $55.50 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 16,420 | $115,730 | $132,650 | $62,520 | $82,330 | $166,070 | $216,900 | $55.64 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $162,610 | 3,010 |
| Virginia | $148,010 | 970 |
| New York | $142,300 | 870 |
| Maryland | $137,610 | 920 |
| Georgia | $127,220 | 340 |
| Ohio | $117,750 | 130 |
| Washington | $116,390 | 470 |
| Missouri | $115,520 | 210 |
| Kansas | $115,100 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $113,300 | 710 |
| Illinois | $112,790 | 590 |
| North Carolina | $111,770 | 250 |
| Oregon | $111,660 | 270 |
| Colorado | $111,540 | 230 |
| Tennessee | $110,320 | — |
| Alaska | $108,960 | — |
| Minnesota | $107,470 | 210 |
| Texas | $106,200 | 620 |
| Alabama | $103,400 | 40 |
| Connecticut | $103,200 | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $103,170 | 770 |
| New Jersey | $102,350 | 110 |
| California | $100,510 | 1,400 |
| Arizona | $96,390 | — |
| Montana | $95,990 | 70 |
| Indiana | $95,830 | 60 |
| Michigan | $94,850 | 280 |
| Iowa | $92,750 | 70 |
| Florida | $89,250 | 460 |
| Louisiana | $89,010 | 70 |
| Nevada | $84,540 | 90 |
| New Mexico | $82,490 | — |
| Oklahoma | $82,330 | — |
| Hawaii | $81,740 | 60 |
| Maine | $80,670 | 60 |
| Idaho | $78,770 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $76,940 | 330 |
| Puerto Rico | $68,180 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $66,690 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $65,470 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $51,980 | 660 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $168,850 | 730 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $157,980 | 4,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,410 | 440 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $131,160 | 160 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,280 | 250 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $127,220 | 310 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $125,630 | 200 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $124,780 | 40 |
| Anchorage, AK | $124,590 | — |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $123,140 | 470 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $121,820 | 230 |
| Cleveland, OH | $121,740 | 50 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $120,410 | 50 |
| Richmond, VA | $118,610 | 160 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $118,190 | 300 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $117,750 | 50 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $116,880 | 160 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $116,880 | 70 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $115,520 | 150 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $114,960 | 30 |
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