Study Reveals States Where STEM Careers Pay the Highest

SAN ANGELO, TX - California leads the nation in paying the highest average salaries for STEM jobs, according to a new study by CYTENA, which analyzed Glassdoor data from 75 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) positions across all U.S. states.

With an average annual salary of $124,937, California outpaces Washington, which comes in second with $123,954, and New York, which ranks third at $114,437.

The report found that the top-paying positions in California are anesthesiologists, earning up to $330,000 a year, followed by cardiologists at $310,000 and orthopedic surgeons at $269,000. Washington’s high earners include anesthesiologists making $314,500 annually, neurologists at $284,500, and orthopedic surgeons at $275,500.

Texas, ranked 17th in the report, has an average annual STEM salary of $104,513. The study highlights the disparity in wages across different regions, with Mississippi at the bottom of the list with an average salary of $85,300.

Rounding out the top five states are Nevada and Maryland, with average salaries of $111,767 and $110,226, respectively. The study also noted that professions such as neurologists, anesthesiologists, and cardiologists generally see the highest pay in STEM fields across all states.

“This dataset shows in which states working within certain professions is the most advantageous, providing suggestions to whoever dreams of said goals of where to pursue these careers,” said Yafees Sarwar, Director of Marketing at CYTENA.