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How Much You Need To Earn To Rank in the Top 10% of Your State
We'd like to think that everyone earns a living wage, and that there's more than enough to go around. Yet in every state, there are people who are barely scraping by at the same time as there are people who earn in the top 10%, leaving a sizable gap between them.
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However, the size of this gap can vary widely depending on where you live. For example, if you live in New York or California, you'll need to earn about four times the median income to crack the top 10%. In other states, like Utah, the top 10% of incomes are more like three times as large as median salaries.
To help highlight the disparities, GOBankingRates analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2021 American Community Survey to determine top quintile (20%) income and the amount earned by the top 10% of earners in each state. GOBankingRates then compared this figure to the overall median household income in the U.S. for context.
What's clear is that both the median income and the salary earned by the top 10% in each state can vary considerably. If you're looking to earn more and have some flexibility, you can check out the average salaries in nearby states to see if you might be able to boost your income. Even if you remain in your home state, there are plenty of entry-level jobs that pay far above the median incomes listed below.
Alabama
Median income: $54,943
Top 10% income: $193,311
The top 10% earners in Alabama make 252% more than the median income, or $138,368 more.
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Alaska
Median income: $80,287
Top 10% income: $242,097
Top earners in Alaska do much better than average, earning 202% more than the median income.
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Arizona
Median income: $65,913
Top 10% income: $223,521
Arizona has a significant wealth gap between average earners and the top 10%, who pull down 239% more than the median income.
Arkansas
Median income: $52,123
Top 10% income: $188,510
Arkansas' median income is almost $17,000 less than the national average, but earners in the top 10% pull down 262% more than the average earner.
California
Median income: $84,097
Top 10% income: $309,857
Median earners in the Golden State earn $15,076 more than the national average. And the top 10% earn a staggering 268% more than the average earner.
Colorado
Median income: $80,184
Top 10% income: $264,516
The gap between average and top earners in Colorado is a significant 230%.
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Connecticut
Median income: $83,572
Top 10% income: $319,533
Connecticut has the third highest wage gap in the U.S., with the top 10% earning 282% more the median earners.
Delaware
Median income: $72,724
Top 10% income: $238,612
Delaware is another state where the median earner earns more than the national average. However, the top 10% earns 272% more than the median.
Florida
Median income: $61,777
Top 10% income: $230,107
Though median earners in Florida earn about $8,000 less than national average, the top 10% earn 272% more than the median.
Georgia
Median income: $65,030
Top 10% income: $234,209
In terms of dollar amount, the gap between top 10% earners and the median averages $169,179 per year.
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Hawaii
Median income: $88,005
Top 10% income: $271,560
For a state where everything is more expensive, Hawaii has the smallest gap between the top and median earners, at just 209%.
Idaho
Median income: $63,377
Top 10% income: $203,042
The gap between median and top earners in Idaho is 220%, or $139,665 per year.
Illinois
Median income: $72,563
Top 10% income: $258,373
The top 10% in Illinois earn about $185,810 more than the median annually, or 256% more.
Indiana
Median income: $61,944
Top 10% income: $198,848
The gap between top and median earners in Indiana is about average, amounting to $136,904 or 221%.
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Iowa
Median income: $65,429
Top 10% income: $203,398
Median earners in Iowa are making just about $4000 less than the national average. While the top 10% is earning $134,377 above national average, which is 211% above median earners.
Kansas
Median income: $64,521
Top 10% income: $215,122
Kansas's top 10% earns 233% more than its median earners on average.
Kentucky
Median income: $55,454
Top 10% income: $194,168
Kentucky, like several other Southern states, has a relatively low median income, which makes the top 10% wage gap even bigger, at 250%.
Louisiana
Median income: $53,571
Top 10% income: $201,514
Louisiana's median income is lower than Kentucky's but the wage gap between the top 10% and median earner is even higher, at 276%, the fourth biggest wage gap in the country.
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Maine
Median income: $63,182
Top 10% income: $205,365
If you earn the median income in Maine and want to jump up to the top 10% of earners, you'll need to raise your salary by 225%.
Maryland
Median income: $91,431
Top 10% income: $293,979
The $202,548 difference between median and top 10% earners in Maryland is fairly large on a percentage basis, amounting to a 222% jump.
Massachusetts
Median income: $89,026
Top 10% income: $316,447
Median earners in Massachusetts earn almost $20,000 more than the national average, but the top 10% earns 255% more than the median earner.
Michigan
Median income: $63,202
Top 10% income: $213,981
If you're a top 10% earner in Michigan, you're pulling down 239% of what median income workers make.
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Minnesota
Median income: $77,706
Top 10% income: $250,361
The spread between the median income and the top 10% of earners in Minnesota is 222%.
Mississippi
Median income: $49,111
Top 10% income: $175,581
Mississippi's median wage earner is pulling in almost $20,000 less than the national average, while the top 10% is earning 258% more than the median.
Missouri
Median income: $61,043
Top 10% income: $207,969
While median earners are pulling in about $8,000 less than the national average, the top 10% are earning $146,926 more than the median earner per year.
Montana
Median income: $60,560
Top 10% income: $205,462
The top 10% of earners in Montana pull down 239% more than the median wage.
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Nebraska
Median income: $66,644
Top 10% income: $213,091
If you're earning a median income in Nebraska, you'll need to pull down about 220% more if you want to crack the top 10%.
Nevada
Median income: $65,686
Top 10% income: $224,480
In Nevada, the median earner is earning a few thousand dollars less than the national average. However, the top 10% is earning $158,794 above median earners per year.
New Hampshire
Median income: $83,449
Top 10% income: $258,632
With median earners in New Hampshire earning a decent wage, well above the national average, it's no surprise the gap between them and the top 10% is one of the smaller on this list, at 210%.
New Jersey
Median income: $89,703
Top 10% income: $319,140
With a median wage at almost $90,000 in New Jersey, to be in the top 10%, earners have to make 256% more.
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New Mexico
Median income: $54,020
Top 10% income: $188,282
New Mexico's median wage earners aren't even up to the national average. Yet the gap between the top 10% of wage earners and the median income is still significantly high, at 249%.
New York
Median income: $75,157
Top 10% income: $302,676
The gap between the top 10% and the median income in New York is the highest in the country, at 303%.
North Carolina
Median income: $60,516
Top 10% income: $217,348
North Carolina's median income is almost $9,000 below national average. However the top 10% are still making a significant $156,832 more than median earners.
North Dakota
Median income: $68,131
Top 10% income: $217,143
In North Dakota, where the median earner is just a hair below the national average, the gap between the top 10% and the median is a slightly smaller 219%.
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Ohio
Median income: $61,938
Top 10% income: $209,247
Ohio's median earners are eking out a below average income, while the top 10% is making 238% more than the median.
Oklahoma
Median income: $56,956
Top 10% income: $195,269
Oklahoma's top 10% earns $138,313 more than the median income, a spread of 243%.
Oregon
Median income: $70,084
Top 10% income: $232,703
Oregon's median income is just above the national average. The top 10% here are not making quite as much as other states, with a gap of 232% between earners.
Pennsylvania
Median income: $67,587
Top 10% income: $234,818
In Pennsylvania, the top 10% are earning $167,231 more than the median earner, a spread of 247%.
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Rhode Island
Median income: $74,489
Top 10% income: $242,103
The spread between Rhode Island's top 10% and its median income is on the smaller side for this list, at 225%.
South Carolina
Median income: $58,234
Top 10% income: $207,367
Median earners in South Carolina are earning among the lower incomes on this list, yet, surprisingly, the gap between median and top 10% earners is a hefty 256%.
South Dakota
Median income: $63,920
Top 10% income: $200,212
South Dakota's top 10% is earning $136,292 more than its median earners, a spread of 213%.
Tennessee
Median income: $58,516
Top 10% income: $210,529
Tennessee's top 10% earns $152,013 more than the median earner, a significant spread of 260%.
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Texas
Median income: $67,321
Top 10% income: $239,765
Texas's top 10% of earners enjoy wages a significant 256% above the state's median income.
Utah
Median income: $79,133
Top 10% income: $239,149
Utah has a decent median income, but its top 10% earns a relatively low 202% more.
Vermont
Median income: $67,674
Top 10% income: $218,086
Vermont's top 10% of earners are making 222% more than the median, or $150,412.
Virginia
Median income: $80,615
Top 10% income: $280,299
Virginia's top 10% earns quite a bit more than its median wage earners. The $199,684 disparity translates to a 248% spread.
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Washington
Median income: $82,400
Top 10% income: $277,165
The disparity between what the top 10% makes versus the median income in Washington stands at 236%.
West Virginia
Median income: $50,884
Top 10% income: $174,019
The median income in West Virginia is the lowest on this list, with the top 10% drawing 242% more than median wage earners.
Wisconsin
Median income: $67,080
Top 10% income: $211,049
Wages are still below national average in Wisconsin, but so is the spread between the top 10% and the median income. At $143,969, that disparity translates to 215%.
Wyoming
Median income: $68,002
Top 10% income: $210,249
The top 10% in the District of Columbia make $142,247 more than the average worker. That's a wage gap of 209% more than the median salary.
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John Csiszar contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2021 American Community Survey on the mean income in the top quintile (20%) of earners to estimate earnings for the top 10%. GOBankingRates then compared this figure to the overall median household income in the U.S. for context. All data was collected on and up to date as of May 2, 2023.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Earn To Rank in the Top 10% of Your State