How Much Millennials Earn in Every State
Millennials are now the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, according to the Pew Research Center. With many millennials securing some of the highest-paying jobs available, how does their pay compare to the average American’s?
GOBankingRates determined how much millennials are earning in every state and compared to the average earnings in each state as a whole. The study found that yes, millennials are making more money than the workforce as a whole, perhaps because of the unique strengths they bring to the workplace. In some states, the difference between median millennial earnings and median statewide earnings is less than $1,000. But in others, the difference is close to $10,000.
Click through to see how much millennials earn compared to the average income in every state.
Last updated: April 2, 2019
Alabama
Median millennial earnings: $49,004
Alabama has the fourth-lowest median millennial income of all the states, but millennials still earn an average of $4,246 more a year than the median wage earner in the state. The state median earnings are $44,758, which is enough to afford a house in Alabama.
Click To See: How Much Middle-Class Families Earn in Every State
Alaska
Median millennial earnings: $75,858
Alaska has the fourth-highest median millennial earnings of all the states — and millennials take home more of their income in Alaska than in most other states since it has no income tax. The state median income in Alaska is $74,444 — $1,414 less than the median income of Alaskan millennials.
Arizona
Median millennial earnings: $55,493
On average, millennials earn $4,153 more than the state median income in Arizona, which is $51,340. Although millennials earn more than the average worker in the state, Arizona is one of the states where it takes the longest for millennials to buy a home because of its above-average mortgage payments, a separate GOBankingRates study found.
Arkansas
Median millennial earnings: $47,339
The state median income in Arkansas is $42,336 — $5,003 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. Arkansas has the second-lowest median millennial earnings and the third-lowest average household income of all the states.
California
Median millennial earnings: $66,979
In California, the median millennial earnings are $3,196 more than the state median earnings. Statewide, the median income is $63,783. However, the median millennial earnings are still not enough to live comfortably in many of California’s major cities, such as San Francisco, which is one of the most expensive cities to live in.
Colorado
Median millennial earnings: $67,250
The state median earnings in Colorado are $62,520, which is $4,730 less than what millennials earn. Neither salary is enough to afford a home in Colorado, which requires the fifth-highest salary to buy a home, a separate GOBankingRates study found.
Connecticut
Median millennial earnings: $74,770
Connecticut has the sixth-highest median millennial earnings of all the states, and it’s the state with the highest median household income. The state median earnings in Connecticut — $71,755 — are $3,015 less than the median millennial earnings.
Delaware
Median millennial earnings: $65,357
In Delaware, the median millennial earnings are $4,340 more than the state median earnings — $61,017. Fortunately, for workers of all ages, there are job skills that are worth six figures.
Florida
Median millennial earnings: $51,901
The state median earnings in Florida are $48,900. So, on average, millennials make $3,001 more a year. Still, millennials are making a low salary in Florida compared to other states, so it will take them a long time to save up for a home in the Sunshine State.
Click To See: The Highest-Paid Job in Your State
Georgia
Median millennial earnings: $53,084
The median millennial earnings in Georgia are $2,047 higher than the state median earnings. The median income in Georgia is $51,037.
Hawaii
Median millennial earnings: $72,915
Hawaii has the seventh-highest median millennial earnings of all the states, but there’s only a $938 difference between the median millennial earnings and the state median earnings in Hawaii. It’s the smallest difference of all the states. Neither salary is enough to afford a home in Hawaii, however.
Idaho
Median millennial earnings: $53,078
The state median earnings in Idaho are $49,174 — $3,904 less than the median earnings for millennials in the state. But even with their higher median salary, it would take millennials a long time to buy a house in Idaho, according to a separate GOBankingRates study.
Illinois
Median millennial earnings: $64,227
The median millennial earnings are $5,031 more than the state median earnings in Illinois. The median earnings for the state as a whole are $59,196.
Indiana
Median millennial earnings: $54,948
The state median earnings in Indiana are $50,433, which is $4,515 less than the median millennial earnings in the state.
More good news for Indiana millennials: Indianapolis is one of the best cities for aspiring millennial homeowners, a different GOBankingRates study found.
Iowa
Median millennial earnings: $62,191
Millennial earnings are $7,621 more than the state median earnings in Iowa, which are $54,570.
Kansas
Median millennial earnings: $58,604
In Kansas, the state median earnings are $53,571, which is $5,033 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. Many millennials are putting their earnings to good use.
Kentucky
Median millennial earnings: $51,584
The average millennial in Kentucky — which has the ninth-lowest median millennial earnings and the fourth-lowest average household income of all the states — makes $6,773 more than the median wage earner for the state as a whole. The state median income is $44,811.
Louisiana
Median millennial earnings: $51,402
Louisiana has the eighth-lowest median millennial earnings and the eighth-lowest average household income of all the states. The state median earnings in Louisiana are even lower at $45,652, which is $5,750 below the median millennial earnings there.
Maine
Median millennial earnings: $56,873
In Maine, the median millennial earnings are $6,047 more than the state median earnings, which are $50,826. It’s not just higher salaries that are making millennials rich — their money habits are making them rich, too.
Maryland
Median millennial earnings: $79,015
Maryland has the third-highest median millennial earnings of all the states, and they’re $2,948 higher than the median earnings for the state as a whole. The median income in Maryland is $76,067. Still, millennials there are making about half of what millennials consider to be a dream salary.
Massachusetts
Median millennial earnings: $80,236
Millennials earn more in Massachusetts than in any other state. And there’s a big difference — $9,309 — between what millennials earn and the state median income in Massachusetts. The median earnings in the state as a whole are $70,954.
Michigan
Median millennial earnings: $55,091
In Michigan, the state median earnings are $50,803 — which is $4,288 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. Millennials in Michigan earn slightly more than the per capita income in Australia, a separate GOBankingRates study found.
Minnesota
Median millennial earnings: $71,297
With a state median income of $63,217, there’s an $8,080 difference between the median millennial earnings and the state median earnings. Minnesota has the eighth-highest median millennial earnings of all the states, and Minneapolis is the best city for aspiring millennial homeowners.
Mississippi
Median millennial earnings: $44,609
Mississippi millennials have the lowest median earnings of all the states, which is unsurprising given that Mississippi has the lowest median household income in the country. The state median income in Mississippi is $40,528 — $4,081 less than the median earnings for millennials in the state.
Missouri
Median millennial earnings: $55,312
The median millennial earnings in Missouri are $5,719 higher than the median state earnings, which are $49,593.
Millennials who want to buy a home should consider St. Louis, which is one of the best cities for aspiring millennial homeowners, according to a separate GOBankingRates study.
Montana
Median millennial earnings: $55,197
Millennials in Montana make an average of $6,817 more than a person earning the median income in the state. In Montana, the median state income is $48,380.
The median millennial salary — though higher than the statewide median — is still low for millennials who want to buy a home in Montana, so saving for a home there can take some time.
Nebraska
Median millennial earnings: $59,886
In Nebraska, the state median earnings — $54,384 — are $5,502 less than the median millennial earnings. There’s definitely a financial gap between the boomer and millennial generations.
Nevada
Median millennial earnings: $55,131
Millennials are out-earning the average income-earner in Nevada by $2,037. Still, high down payments and mortgage rates make Nevada one of the states where it takes the longest for millennials to buy a home. The state median earnings in Nevada are $53,094.
New Hampshire
Median millennial earnings: $75,233
New Hampshire has the fifth-highest median millennial earnings of all the states, and one of the highest average household incomes as well. The state median income in New Hampshire is $68,485, which is $6,748 below the median millennial earnings in the state.
New Jersey
Median millennial earnings: $79,431
New Jersey has the second-highest median millennial earnings and the third-highest average household income of all the states. And there’s a $5,729 difference between the state median earnings and the median millennial earnings there. The median income in the Garden State as a whole is $73,702.
New Mexico
Median millennial earnings: $47,567
The state median earnings in New Mexico are $45,674, which is $1,893 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. New Mexico has the third-lowest median millennial earnings of all the states, as well as the sixth-lowest household income.
New York
Median millennial earnings: $67,678
In New York, the state median earnings are $60,741, which is $6,937 less than what the average millennial in the state makes.
New Yorkers looking to make more money should consider becoming teachers — the state has the highest teacher salary in the country.
North Carolina
Median millennial earnings: $51,764
North Carolina has the 10th-lowest median millennial earnings of all the states, but the median millennial earnings in the state are $3,508 higher than the median earnings of the state as a whole, which are $48,256. Because millennial earnings are low in North Carolina, it’s one of the states where it takes the longest for millennials to buy a home.
North Dakota
Median millennial earnings: $69,045
North Dakota has the biggest gap between the median millennial earnings and the state median earnings. The state median income is $59,114 — $9,931 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. It also has the 10th-highest median millennial earnings of all the states.
Ohio
Median millennial earnings: $55,894
In Ohio, the state median earnings are $50,674, which is $5,220 less than the median millennial earnings. Either salary is more than enough to buy a home in Ohio, which requires the lowest salary to own a home of all the states.
Oklahoma
Median millennial earnings: $52,500
Millennials in Oklahoma earn $4,462 more than someone earning the median income in the state, which is $48,038. Workers of all generations can live comfortably in Oklahoma City, which has high salaries and low living costs.
Oregon
Median millennial earnings: $58,738
The state median earnings in Oregon are $53,270, which is $4,462 below the median millennial earnings for the state. Millennial earnings are still low in proportion to housing costs in the state.
Pennsylvania
Median millennial earnings: $62,292
In Pennsylvania, the state median earnings are $54,895, which is $7,397 below the median millennial earnings.
Rhode Island
Median millennial earnings: $62,259
The median income in Rhode Island as a whole is $58,387, which is $3,872 less than the median millennial earnings in the state. Not only do millennials earn more, but they have good saving habits too.
South Carolina
Median millennial earnings: $50,671
In South Carolina, the median millennial earnings are $3,773 more than the median earnings for the state as a whole, which are $46,898. The Southern state has the sixth-lowest median millennial earnings of all the states.
South Dakota
Median millennial earnings: $58,311
The state median earnings in South Dakota are $52,078 — $6,233 less than the median millennial earnings in the state.
Tennessee
Median millennial earnings: $50,837
The difference between the median millennial earnings and the state median earnings — $46,574 — in Tennessee is $4,263. Tennessee has the seventh-lowest median millennial earnings of all the states, but despite that, Nashville is one of the best cities for aspiring millennial homeowners.
Texas
Median millennial earnings: $58,210
In Texas, the state median earnings are $54,727 — $3,483 less than median millennial earnings in the state. Fortunately, you can live comfortably on either salary in places like El Paso, which is one of the cheapest major cities in the U.S.
Utah
Median millennial earnings: $65,272
Utah’s state median earnings are $62,518. Millennials in the state earn $2,754 more, on average.
Vermont
Median millennial earnings: $63,508
The median income in Vermont as a whole is $56,104, which is $7,404 less than the median millennial income.
Virginia
Median millennial earnings: $71,234
In Virginia, the state median earnings are $66,149 — $5,085 less than median millennial earnings in the state. Virginia has the ninth-highest median millennial earnings of all the states.
Washington
Median millennial earnings: $68,481
Washington’s state median earnings are $5,633 below the median millennial earnings. Someone earning the median salary in Washington makes $62,848.
West Virginia
Median millennial earnings: $50,130
West Virginia has the fifth-lowest median millennial earnings and the second-lowest average household income of all the states. The median state income in West Virginia — $42,644 — is $7,486 less than the median millennial earnings.
Wisconsin
Median millennial earnings: $61,186
The difference between the median earnings for Wisconsin as a whole and the median earnings for millennials living there is $6,576. The median state earnings in the Midwestern state are $54,610. Wisconsin is one of the best states for families to live a richer life.
Wyoming
Median millennial earnings: $67,676
There’s a big difference — $8,533 — between the median millennial earnings and the state median earnings in Wyoming. The median salary in the state is $59,143.
The Best and Worst States for Millennial Earnings
In all 50 states, millennials are making more money than the workforce as a whole, but median income is higher in some states than others. The states with the highest median millennial earnings are:
Massachusetts
New Jersey
Maryland
Alaska
New Hampshire
The states with the lowest median millennial earnings are:
Mississippi
Arkansas
New Mexico
Alabama
West Virginia
More From GOBankingRates
GOBankingRates looked at median millennial earnings across every state in the U.S. by using the most recent data from the United States Census Bureau (pulled in 2018) for people in the working population between ages 25-44. We also looked at the median income in every state in order to see how millennial earnings compare to those of the state’s average.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Millennials Earn in Every State
