Survey Researchers
Median $69,460
Occupation · SOC 19-3011
Economists: pay and where the jobs are
What economists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$124,720 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $142,130
- Median hourly wage
- $59.96
- Mean hourly wage
- $68.33
- Employment
- 17,790
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3011.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among economists nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do economists make?
The median annual wage for economists was $124,720 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $67,360 and the highest-paid 10% more than $238,060. As an hourly rate, the median is $59.96. About 17,790 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in District of Columbia ($167,590), New Jersey ($167,550) and Delaware ($159,120). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Delaware.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for economists looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $67,360 | $32.38 | $5,613 | $4,685 |
| 25th percentile | $89,330 | $42.95 | $7,444 | $5,973 |
| Median | $124,720 | $59.96 | $10,393 | $8,043 |
| 75th percentile | $174,720 | $84.00 | $14,560 | $10,891 |
| 90th percentile | $238,060 | $114.45 | $19,838 | $14,364 |
Economists: pay by state
41 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$110,439 take-home in national prices
2
$110,121 take-home in national prices
3
$106,989 take-home in national prices
Where a median economist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 3,000 | $167,590 | $98,350 | $299,110 | $114,537 | $104,218 |
| New Jersey | 280 | $167,550 | $83,990 | $195,190 | $116,409 | $106,989 |
| Delaware | 70 | $159,120 | $74,690 | $214,000 | $110,227 | $110,439 |
| Maryland | 1,130 | $144,680 | $93,710 | $195,190 | $103,395 | $98,509 |
| Kansas | 80 | $138,790 | $67,610 | $238,990 | $99,184 | $110,121 |
| Virginia | 950 | $137,590 | $74,600 | $232,410 | $98,211 | $97,139 |
| New York | 910 | $136,660 | $82,130 | $292,850 | $97,207 | $90,073 |
| North Carolina | 290 | $136,150 | $35,460 | $224,270 | $99,401 | $105,380 |
| Idaho | 130 | $131,270 | $55,180 | $173,560 | $95,140 | $99,629 |
| Alabama | 40 | $129,960 | $74,520 | $175,170 | $94,832 | $106,765 |
| Georgia | 260 | $122,570 | $78,190 | $187,330 | $89,675 | $93,127 |
| Oregon | 320 | $122,120 | $81,620 | $147,600 | $84,656 | $81,903 |
| Texas | 560 | $121,420 | $66,760 | $219,140 | $94,249 | $97,107 |
| Colorado | 240 | $121,410 | $73,450 | $193,480 | $89,074 | $86,436 |
| Ohio | 140 | $120,000 | $69,770 | $216,920 | $90,387 | $97,427 |
| California | 860 | $119,410 | $74,030 | $207,380 | $84,422 | $76,249 |
| Tennessee | 80 | $117,650 | $83,610 | $162,670 | $91,597 | $99,703 |
| Missouri | 280 | $117,010 | $73,260 | $229,510 | $86,584 | $95,339 |
| Pennsylvania | 560 | $115,000 | $64,500 | $164,650 | $86,122 | $88,265 |
| Alaska | 80 | $111,040 | $80,110 | $141,270 | $86,676 | $84,678 |
| Washington | 450 | $109,300 | $80,320 | $167,960 | $84,206 | $78,688 |
| Massachusetts | 1,030 | $106,380 | $74,080 | $222,610 | $78,080 | $73,830 |
| Michigan | 320 | $106,350 | $72,860 | $178,170 | $79,378 | $82,499 |
| Minnesota | 500 | $105,120 | $58,380 | $197,870 | $76,695 | $77,767 |
| Florida | 500 | $102,430 | $65,850 | $174,900 | $80,890 | $78,219 |
| Connecticut | 210 | $101,400 | $74,740 | $166,060 | $74,824 | $72,217 |
| Iowa | 70 | $96,310 | $59,980 | $144,750 | $73,576 | $83,836 |
| Arkansas | 50 | $91,560 | $55,130 | $136,990 | $70,342 | $80,912 |
| Maine | 70 | $91,480 | $69,140 | $132,950 | $68,209 | $70,282 |
| Nevada | 70 | $91,340 | $70,960 | $128,420 | $73,088 | $73,103 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | $89,980 | $67,490 | $171,650 | $68,627 | $78,125 |
| Montana | 90 | $89,340 | $69,850 | $116,210 | $67,994 | $71,841 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $86,130 | $60,080 | $157,110 | $69,422 | $66,647 |
| Wisconsin | 280 | $84,000 | $53,340 | $132,270 | $64,446 | $68,491 |
| Hawaii | 50 | $83,050 | $66,370 | $120,270 | $62,358 | $56,714 |
| Indiana | 80 | $80,750 | $47,350 | $163,380 | $63,285 | $67,809 |
| Arizona | 340 | $79,610 | $75,000 | $138,990 | $63,239 | $62,814 |
| Nebraska | 90 | $75,880 | $45,000 | $135,300 | $59,639 | $66,189 |
| Louisiana | 140 | $73,050 | $60,680 | $136,970 | $58,415 | $66,225 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $71,400 | $59,810 | $124,380 | $56,679 | $62,865 |
| Puerto Rico | 100 | $70,750 | $51,050 | $85,630 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-3011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.