The Best—And Worst—States for Six-Figure Jobs

Where are all the high-paying jobs? It might depend on where you live.

Jobs that pay six figures, starting at $100,000 to almost $1 million, are out there, with 17% of all American jobs posted including at least a six-figure salary. But that percentage of listings can vary depending on the state you live in.

JobLeads reviewed around 27 million job listings in the U.S. that included a proposed salary to see which states offer better prospects for six-figure options. Check out this list to see if your state makes the list for the best places, or worst places, to find a high-paying job.

Hawaii Leads the Nation

You're in luck if you're looking for a good-paying job and live in Hawaii, with 39.7% of all jobs listed offering a six-figure salary. The state had over 38,000 jobs posted with a six-figure salary out of more than 96,000 positions.

California came in a close second place with 39.5% of six-figure jobs out of total positions. The state had more than 2.4 million listings, with 939,000 positions reaching the level of six figures.

Third-place Massachusetts was also competitive, with more than 277,000 positions including a six-figure salary out of 713,000 jobs, for 38.9% of all listings.

One major factor for these states having so many job postings offering a six-figure salary may be the cost of living in these states. Hawaii, California, and Massachusetts, for example, are also the three most expensive states in the U.S. when it comes to cost of living.

One note to consider is that the District of Columbia was not included in the official ranking of the 50 states for six-figure jobs. If it had been included, it would have easily topped the list with 84% of job postings offering a six-figure salary. One big issue for the district is that it has a high density of federal jobs, creating more of a specialized job hub rather than a state labor market. In addition to government positions that pay well, D.C. also has a high cost of living, coming in just below Massachusetts when it comes to how much it costs to be there.

The top 10 states with the most six-figure salary jobs listed are:

1. Hawaii
2. California
3. Massachusetts
4. Washington
5. Illinois
6. Maryland
7. Alaska
8. Connecticut
9. Colorado
10. Rhode Island

Southern States Lack Six-Figure Salaries

Unlike states at the high end of job listings, the top five worst states for six-figure salaries all have less than 7% of their job postings including a six-figure salary.

Mississippi leads the way with only around 9,000 of its over 146,000 jobs listed as including a six-figure salary, or 6.2% of all jobs listed. Arkansas came in second place with 6.7% of jobs offering a six-figure salary, while Oklahoma had 6.8% of jobs having six figures.

Southern states dominated the states with the fewest number of six-figure salaries. In fact, all of the top five states are in the South, and seven of the top 10 states are from that region. The other three—Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana—are Midwestern states.

Cost of living could also be a factor in the case of states with the fewest six-figure salaries. The state with the lowest cost of living in the U.S. is Oklahoma, while Mississippi has the second-lowest cost of living.

The states with the fewest six-figure salaries include:

1. Mississippi
2. Arkansas
3. Oklahoma
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Iowa
7. Kentucky
8. South Carolina
9. Michigan
10. Indiana

More State-By-State Data: