Economists pay in the U.S.
$142,130avg. a year
$68.33 an hour · 17,790 employed
Economists in the U.S. earn an average of $142,130 a year and a median of $124,720. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($175,100) and lowest in Kentucky ($83,920).
$124,720Median pay
$68.33Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
17,790Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for economists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
13,000 jobs
District of Columbia
$175,100
$84.18 an hour
2910 jobs
New York
$168,580
$81.05 an hour
3280 jobs
New Jersey
$161,990
$77.88 an hour
480 jobs
Kansas
$150,950
$72.57 an hour
570 jobs
Delaware
$149,020
$71.64 an hour
61,130 jobs
Maryland
$146,600
$70.48 an hour
7950 jobs
Virginia
$144,880
$69.66 an hour
8290 jobs
North Carolina
$136,220
$65.49 an hour
9560 jobs
Texas
$135,080
$64.94 an hour
10280 jobs
Missouri
$134,000
$64.43 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Economists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $98k$98k–$120k$120k–$134k$134k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $184,860 | $88.87 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $166,140 | $79.88 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $159,310 | $76.59 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $155,860 | $74.93 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $149,490 | $71.87 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $147,800 | $71.06 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $145,630 | $70.02 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $141,470 | $68.01 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Economists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $127,060 | $129,960 | 40 |
| Alaska | $121,300 | $111,040 | 80 |
| Arizona | $99,420 | $79,610 | 340 |
| Arkansas | $94,330 | $91,560 | 50 |
| California | $133,680 | $119,410 | 860 |
| Colorado | $127,020 | $121,410 | 240 |
| Connecticut | $112,760 | $101,400 | 210 |
| Delaware | $149,020 | $159,120 | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $175,100 | $167,590 | 3,000 |
| Florida | $113,290 | $102,430 | 500 |
| Georgia | $131,680 | $122,570 | 260 |
| Hawaii | $89,520 | $83,050 | 50 |
| Idaho | $119,930 | $131,270 | 130 |
| Indiana | $96,780 | $80,750 | 80 |
| Iowa | $102,020 | $96,310 | 70 |
| Kansas | $150,950 | $138,790 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $83,920 | $71,400 | 100 |
| Louisiana | $89,010 | $73,050 | 140 |
| Maine | $97,410 | $91,480 | 70 |
| Maryland | $146,600 | $144,680 | 1,130 |
| Massachusetts | $133,270 | $106,380 | 1,030 |
| Michigan | $117,980 | $106,350 | 320 |
| Minnesota | $117,980 | $105,120 | 500 |
| Missouri | $134,000 | $117,010 | 280 |
| Montana | $97,330 | $89,340 | 90 |
| Nebraska | $86,280 | $75,880 | 90 |
| Nevada | $96,620 | $91,340 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $98,080 | $86,130 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $161,990 | $167,550 | 280 |
| New York | $168,580 | $136,660 | 910 |
| North Carolina | $136,220 | $136,150 | 290 |
| Ohio | $132,380 | $120,000 | 140 |
| Oklahoma | $111,010 | $89,980 | 80 |
| Oregon | $116,410 | $122,120 | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $117,370 | $115,000 | 560 |
| Tennessee | $123,810 | $117,650 | 80 |
| Texas | $135,080 | $121,420 | 560 |
| Virginia | $144,880 | $137,590 | 950 |
| Washington | $120,550 | $109,300 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $91,630 | $84,000 | 280 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$166,140
4,570 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$184,860
850 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$137,090
820 jobsSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$101,690
250 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$132,880
220 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$149,490
220 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$123,570
210 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$155,860
200 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do economists make?
The average is $142,130 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $124,720 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $68.33, and the median is $59.96 an hour.
Which state pays economists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $175,100 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $184,860.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $67,360 a year, and the top 10% earn over $238,060.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-3011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.