Throughout the U.S., workers earn a median annual wage of about $48,080, according to the latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But in the three states where workers earn the least, the median annual wage sits below $40,000 a year. And notably, all but two of the 10 lowest-earning states are in the South.
| Bottom 10 states | |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $37,500 |
| Arkansas | $39,060 |
| W. Virginia | $39,770 |
| Louisiana | $41,320 |
| Alabama | $41,350 |
| Oklahoma | $41,480 |
| S. Carolina | $42,220 |
| New Mexico | $43,620 |
| S. Dakota | $43,680 |
| Kentucky | $43,730 |
Mississippi has the lowest-earning population in the U.S. with a median annual wage of just $37,500, according to the BLS.
That’s due, in part, to the fact that Mississippi has one of the least-educated populations in the country, with just 1 in 4 adults in the state holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to St. Louis Fed data.
More education typically correlates with higher earnings, which helps explain why Massachusetts — the most-educated state, with nearly 47% of its population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher — is also the highest-paid, according to the St. Louis Fed.
In 1960, minimum wage was $1.00 and hour and the cost of the average American home was $11,000.00 That meant that a couple of high school kids could get married on graduation day and be homeowners before they turned 30*.
*Yes, houses were smaller in 1960, but that has more to do with heating/air conditioning and improved building techniques than anything else. And yes, the people in 1960 wouldn’t have had cell phones, but improved tech wasn’t related to the massive inflation.