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These are the 10 cities with the highest average salary in the US in 2024

A vast country means large differences in wages across the various states.

Differences in living costs depend on location, and wages fluctuate across the country to reflect that.
bluejayphotoGetty Images/iStockphoto

Wages across the United States vary based on a number of factors. Differences in living costs from one city to another can cause salaries for similar or even the same jobs to change, and inflated costs usually bring bigger wages.

As well as the price of milk, locations that are hubs for growing industries, such as technology or product manufacturing, could also contribute to the situation regarding pay.

According to GoBankingRates, these are the top-10 highest wages in the US ranked by cities:

10. Trenton, New Jersey

The average salary in Trenton makes it into the top 10 with $77,980. There are 238,490 people employed in the area and this huge salary only makes it tenth. More to come.

9. New York City

The Big Apple’s appearance on this list may not come as a surprise to some, and the mean annual salary here is $82,050 from just shy of 4.5 million people. This also stretches to include Newark and Jersey City in New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania.

8. Bridgeport, Connecticut

This number includes Stamford and Norwalk and the average salary sits at $82,180, just a few dollars higher than the NYC number. There are a total of 401,260 people who make up this figure.

7. Boston

A salary of $84,490 is what the average Bostonian earns a year, with almost 3 million people making up the numbers. This salary also includes Cambridge, Massachusetts and Nashua, New Hampshire.

6. California-Lexington Park, Maryland

Slightly higher than Boston, at $84,650, is the region in Maryland that is home to 47,220 people.

Spoiler! The US capital makes it into the top-earning cities in the country.
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Spoiler! The US capital makes it into the top-earning cities in the country.Samuel CorumAFP

5. Seattle

The northwestern city in Washington State is home to just over 2 million and the first place in the top 5 of this list. With an annual mean wage of $86,520, the home of the Sounders is also where Microsoft and Amazon have their headquarters.

4. Boulder, Colorado

Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder has a working population of 194,440 and an average wage of $87,220. A huge university plays a role in the position, and the picturesque setting certainly increases the living costs.

3. Washington, D.C.

Also including Arlington, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia, the capital of the country understandably gets onto the podium for the top earners. With a working population of just over 3 million, the average salary sits at $88,370. The head of government undoubtedly plays a role in this position, as well as the high cost of living that comes with living in the capital.

2. San Francisco

IT, software, aerospace, social and digital media all play a part in high wages, as San Francisco remains one of the biggest money-making locations in the US that dates back to the times of gold prospecting. Appealing geography, pace of life, education - everything except earthquakes - makes SF one of the most sought-after places to be in the States. Here, we see the wages take a big hike and sit at $97,460, with close to 2.5 million people making up the numbers, including Oakland and Hayward.

1. San Jose, California

Top of the list, with the gold medal, is San Jose, California, one of the world’s wealthiest major cities. The mean salary includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara and leaps upwards once again, passing the 100k mark and stopping at $113,730.

It is the largest city in California and has deep links with Silicon Valley as it houses huge companies such as eBay, PayPal, Adobe and everyone’s favourite: Zoom.

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