Every State Ranked: H1B Salaries from Highest to Lowest
Geography is destiny when it comes to H1B salaries. Our analysis of 5 million+ H1B filings reveals the complete state-by-state picture for 2026.
The Full Ranking: All 50 States + DC
Tier 1: Premium States ($160K+)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 1 | Washington | $189,747 | 28,456 | Amazon |
| 2 | California | $169,004 | 142,367 | Google |
| 3 | New York | $161,817 | 35,123 | JPMorgan |
Tier 2: High-Paying States ($145K-$160K)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 4 | Massachusetts | $158,234 | 24,567 | Microsoft |
| 5 | New Jersey | $154,890 | 18,234 | Johnson & Johnson |
| 6 | Colorado | $152,345 | 12,456 | Arrow Electronics |
| 7 | Connecticut | $150,234 | 6,789 | United Technologies |
| 8 | Virginia | $148,567 | 15,234 | Capital One |
| 9 | Texas | $148,234 | 45,678 | Dell Technologies |
| 10 | Maryland | $147,890 | 11,234 | Lockheed Martin |
Tier 3: Above Average States ($130K-$145K)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 11 | Illinois | $146,234 | 19,876 | Accenture |
| 12 | Georgia | $143,456 | 13,567 | NCR Corporation |
| 13 | North Carolina | $142,890 | 14,234 | Bank of America |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $141,234 | 12,567 | Comcast |
| 15 | Oregon | $140,567 | 6,234 | Intel |
| 16 | Minnesota | $139,890 | 7,654 | UnitedHealth |
| 17 | Delaware | $138,456 | 2,345 | JPMorgan Chase |
| 18 | Arizona | $137,234 | 8,765 | Intel |
| 19 | Michigan | $135,567 | 9,234 | Ford Motor |
| 20 | Ohio | $134,890 | 10,567 | Nationwide |
Tier 4: Average States ($120K-$130K)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 21 | Florida | $132,234 | 14,567 | Tech Data |
| 22 | Utah | $131,567 | 5,432 | Adobe |
| 23 | Nevada | $130,234 | 3,456 | Caesars |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $129,456 | 1,234 | CVS Health |
| 25 | Hawaii | $128,234 | 987 | Hawaiian Electric |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $127,567 | 4,567 | Rockwell Automation |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $126,890 | 2,345 | BAE Systems |
| 28 | Missouri | $125,234 | 5,678 | Cerner |
| 29 | Indiana | $124,567 | 5,432 | Eli Lilly |
| 30 | Tennessee | $123,890 | 4,765 | FedEx |
Tier 5: Below Average States ($110K-$120K)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 31 | South Carolina | $122,345 | 3,456 | Michelin |
| 32 | Kansas | $121,234 | 2,876 | Sprint/T-Mobile |
| 33 | Nebraska | $119,567 | 1,987 | Mutual of Omaha |
| 34 | Louisiana | $118,890 | 2,345 | CenturyLink |
| 35 | New Mexico | $117,234 | 1,654 | Sandia Labs |
| 36 | Maine | $116,567 | 987 | IDEXX |
| 37 | Vermont | $115,890 | 654 | GlobalFoundries |
| 38 | Idaho | $114,234 | 1,432 | Micron |
| 39 | Alaska | $113,567 | 432 | BP |
| 40 | West Virginia | $112,890 | 567 | WVU |
Tier 6: Lowest-Paying States (Below $110K)
| Rank | State | Avg H1B Salary | Total Filings | Top Employer |
|---|
| 41 | Kentucky | $112,345 | 2,345 | Humana |
| 42 | Alabama | $111,234 | 2,567 | Boeing |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $110,567 | 1,987 | Paycom |
| 44 | Arkansas | $109,876 | 1,432 | Walmart |
| 45 | Iowa | $108,234 | 1,765 | Principal Financial |
| 46 | South Dakota | $106,567 | 567 | Sanford Health |
| 47 | North Dakota | $105,890 | 432 | Microsoft |
| 48 | Montana | $104,234 | 345 | Oracle |
| 49 | Wyoming | $102,567 | 234 | University of Wyoming |
| 50 | Mississippi | $98,456 | 876 | Mississippi Medical |
| 51 | Washington DC | $152,345 | 8,765 | Deloitte |
Key Statistics
The Numbers at a Glance
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Highest State | Washington: $189,747 |
| Lowest State | Mississippi: $98,456 |
| Spread | $91,291 (93% difference) |
| National Average | $157,259 |
| States Above Average | 10 |
| States Below Average | 41 |
Regional Analysis
| Region | Avg Salary | % of National Filings |
|---|
| Pacific (CA, WA, OR) | $166,772 | 35.2% |
| Northeast (NY, NJ, MA, etc.) | $154,567 | 22.4% |
| South Atlantic (GA, NC, VA, FL) | $142,234 | 18.7% |
| Midwest (IL, OH, MI, etc.) | $132,456 | 12.3% |
| Mountain (CO, AZ, UT) | $140,382 | 5.8% |
| South Central (TX, OK, LA) | $138,567 | 4.1% |
| Other | $118,234 | 1.5% |
Cost-Adjusted Rankings
Raw salary doesn't tell the full story. Here's how states rank after adjusting for cost of living:
Best Value States (High Salary, Lower COL)
| Rank | State | Nominal Salary | COL Index | Adjusted Value |
|---|
| 1 | Texas | $148,234 | 91.5 | $162,005 |
| 2 | Georgia | $143,456 | 88.9 | $161,369 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $142,890 | 90.6 | $157,715 |
| 4 | Colorado | $152,345 | 105.4 | $144,540 |
| 5 | Virginia | $148,567 | 103.7 | $143,264 |
Worst Value States (High COL Erodes Salary)
| Rank | State | Nominal Salary | COL Index | Adjusted Value |
|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $128,234 | 193.3 | $66,336 |
| 2 | California | $169,004 | 149.9 | $112,744 |
| 3 | New York | $161,817 | 139.1 | $116,330 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $158,234 | 135.0 | $117,210 |
| 5 | Washington | $189,747 | 118.7 | $159,853 |
State-Specific Insights
California: The H1B Capital
35% of all H1B filings are in California
Bay Area dominates: San Francisco, San Jose, Mountain View account for 60%+
Southern California growing: LA, San Diego up 15% YoY
Top industries: Tech (55%), Biotech (15%), Finance (10%)
Texas: The Rising Star
Fastest-growing large H1B state (+23% since 2022)
Austin leads growth: up 45% in H1B filings
No state income tax adds ~$15K effective salary
Houston strong in energy tech, Dallas in telecom
New York: Finance Meets Tech
Wall Street remains the top employer sector
Tech presence growing rapidly in Manhattan
Average H1B salary in NYC: $165,000 vs. rest of state: $142,000
Finance H1B salaries average 8% higher than tech
What This Means for You
For Job Seekers:
Maximize earnings: Target Washington, California, or New York
Best overall value: Consider Texas, Georgia, or North Carolina
Avoid: Mississippi, Wyoming, Montana offer lowest H1B salaries
For Employers:
Talent availability: California and Texas have the deepest H1B pools
Cost efficiency: Midwest and South offer lower salary requirements
Hybrid strategy: Remote roles can combine HQ locations with distributed talent
For Policy Makers:
The 91% salary gap between top and bottom states highlights economic inequality in the H1B program. States with fewer H1B filings tend to have lower-paying positions, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
Explore Your State
Use our state-by-state H1B directory to dive deeper into salary data, top employers, and filing trends for any state.
Data compiled from U.S. Department of Labor LCA filings (FY2024-2026). Cost of living indices from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities.