Where Are the Jobs?
A salary comparison by location of high paying jobs. Find where the job openings are for top-paying jobs and the states where employees earn the most.
Have you ever wondered what jobs make the most money? Have you wondered where those best-paying jobs are by location? The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides jobs data in nine regions across the United States. Projections Central details the best place to earn the most money in high-paying jobs.
With the current economy, knowledge is king. Knowing what field to find jobs that make the most money and look for employment can help ensure a secure future.
The nine regions of the US are shown below, followed by job positions that make the most money. Next, states with the most annual job openings are listed. Then the conditions where employees in these jobs earn the highest yearly income are shown.
The Nine US Regions
The Bureau of Labor Statistics compares similar jobs across geographic regions. The nine areas in the US with the states they encompass follow:
- Pacific includes Washington, Oregon, and California
- Mountain includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona
- West North Central includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri
- West South Central includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana
- East North Central includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio
- East South Central includes Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama
- New England includes Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
- Middle Atlantic encompasses New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
- South Atlantic includes Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
Jobs That Make the Most Money
Medical and business careers tend to offer high salaries:
- Anesthesiologists are paid an average annual salary of $211,000.
- Computer applications software engineers are paid an average yearly wage of $90,000.
- Physician assistants are paid an average yearly salary of $85,000.
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is one of the jobs that make the most money. Specific information for CPAs is not available, but accountants earn an average annual salary of $67,000.
- Management analysts are paid an average yearly salary of $84,000.
Where Are the Jobs That Make the Most Money?
Job openings per state for these high paying jobs are not created equal. The following data show which states have the most job openings each year, according to Projections Central.
The data was not detailed for anesthesiologists at Projections Central. Therefore, data for physicians and surgeons will be provided instead. Annually there are more than 20,000 openings for physicians and surgeons. Most medical doctors are employed in the Middle Atlantic region. The five states with the most job openings each year are California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Annually there are nearly 30,000 job openings for computer applications software engineers. Most computer applications software engineers are employed in the Pacific, Middle Atlantic, and South Atlantic regions of the US. The five states with the most job openings each year are California, Virginia, New York, Washington, and Texas.
There are 2,600 job openings for physician assistants each year. Most physician assistants are employed in the South Atlantic regions of the US. The five states with the most job openings each year are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and North Carolina.
Annually there are nearly 45,000 job openings for accountants. Most accountants are employed in the Pacific, West South Central, Middle Atlantic, and South Atlantic regions of the US. The five states with the most job openings each year are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois.
There are more than 26,000 job openings for management analysts each year. The regions that employ the most management analysts are South Atlantic and Pacific. The five states with the most job openings each year are California, Virginia, Florida, Illinois, and New York.
High Paying Jobs- Average Salary by Job and Top Five States
Anesthesiologists earn the most money in the following states: Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Missouri. Specific annual earnings were listed for all as “equal to or greater than $166,000 per year.”
Computer applications software engineers earn the most money in the following states: Massachusetts ($103,000), California, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey ($94,000).
High-paying jobs for physician assistants are in the following states: Nevada ($103,000), Washington, Connecticut, Washington DC, and Alaska ($92,000).
Accountants earn the most money in the following states: New York ($84,000), Washington DC, New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts ($73,000).
Management analysts earn the most money in the following states: Massachusetts ($100,000), Georgia, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York ($92,000).
