Wage levels across the states have converged: State median wage level relative to U.S. median wage, 1979 and 2018
| 1979 | 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | States | Count | States | |
| Below 80% | 5 | AR, MS, SC, SD, NC | 0 | |
| 80–84% | 4 | FL, ME, ND, VT | 2 | MS, NM |
| 85–89% | 6 | AL, KS, LA, MO, OK, TN | 8 | AL, AR, FL, ID, MT, NC, OK, WV |
| 90–99% | 13 | DE, GA, HI, IA, KY, MT, NE, NH, NM, RI, TX, VA, WV | 18 | DE, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, ND, NE, NV, SC, SD, TN, TX, WI, WY |
| 100% or more | 22 | AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, UT, WA, WY | 23 | AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, UT, VA, VT, WA |
Notes: Values describe the full-time, full-year median wages of workers in each state as a share of the U.S. national full-time, full-year median wage.
Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata