States where a bachelor's degree pays off the most and least, ranked

In South Dakota, the median earnings difference between having a bachelor's degree and having some college or an associate degree is $8,509 a year. Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images Having a bachelor's degree often translates to higher earnings. In some states, the earnings gap between four-year degree holders and adults with some college experience is wider. California has a 58.5% earnings gap, while South Dakota's is 17.1%. Getting a four-year college education isn't always worth it for everybody — whether it comes down to avoiding the rising cost of a degree or pursuing careers outside a traditional college setting — but in some state economies , not having a bachelor's degree sets you further behind than in others. Business Insider looked at the median annual earnings of adults aged 25 and over across the country, as reported in the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey data , and compared the median earnings of adults with a bachelor's degree with those of adults with some college or an associate degree. We then ranked all 50 states by the percentage difference in median earnings between those two groups, from highest to lowest, to compare extra earnings associated with completing a four-year degree with stopping short of earning a bachelor's degree, while accounting for differences in overall wage levels from state to state. Across all states, one thing remained constant: having a bachelor's degree is almost always associated with higher earnings . On average, bachelor's degree-holders earned 38.6% more than adults with some college or an associate degree, but that ranged across state lines, with the largest gap at 58.5% and the smallest at 17.1%. States with major cities and large professional job markets , such as California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, and Washington, all ranked among the widest earnings gaps between bachelor's degree holders and those with only some college or an associate degree. On the other hand, states with more rural economies and greater reliance on industries such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and skilled trades , such as Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, had the smallest earnings gaps. For some, even a slim advantage can be significant in an uncertain labor market. Others might look at the financial payoff of a college investment and decide to pursue a different career path. The list below ranks states from those with the largest earnings gap between bachelor's degree holders and people with some college education to those with the smallest gap, helping illustrate how the financial payoff of a bachelor's degree can vary across state lines. See where your state ranked. 50. California f11photo/Getty Images Degree premium: 58.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $80,874 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $51,031 Earnings gap: $29,843 49. New Jersey Wirestock/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 57.1% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $81,107 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $51,644 Earnings gap: $29,463 48. Massachusetts Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images Degree premium: 56.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $81,784 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $52,218 Earnings gap: $29,566 47. New York william87/Getty Images Degree premium: 55.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $76,760 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $49,538 Earnings gap: $27,222 46. Georgia Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 53.7% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $70,582 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,919 Earnings gap: $24,663 45. Illinois Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images Degree premium: 52.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $72,625 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,598 Earnings gap: $25,027 44. Washington GummyBone/Getty Images Degree premium: 51.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $81,640 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $53,857 Earnings gap: $27,783 43. Connecticut Ashley RK Smith/Getty Images Degree premium: 50.7% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $77,879 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $51,686 Earnings gap: $26,193 42. Virginia SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 49.8% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $75,575 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $50,450 Earnings gap: $25,125 41. Colorado Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images Degree premium: 47.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $75,637 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $51,247 Earnings gap: $24,390 40. Texas travelview/Getty Images Degree premium: 47.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $69,494 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,269 Earnings gap: $22,225 39. North Carolina David Sweatman/Getty Images Degree premium: 46.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $65,170 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $44,474 Earnings gap: $20,696 38. Oregon Nicholas Klein/Getty Images Degree premium: 46.3% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $69,562 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,544 Earnings gap: $22,018 37. Michigan Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images Degree premium: 45.9% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $66,497 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,580 Earnings gap: $20,917 36. Pennsylvania Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 45.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $70,261 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $48,250 Earnings gap: $22,011 35. Ohio RudyBalasko/Getty Images Degree premium: 45.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $67,591 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $46,601 Earnings gap: $20,990 34. Maryland Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 43.3% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $79,242 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $55,301 Earnings gap: $23,941 33. Kansas Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images Degree premium: 43.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $65,534 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,825 Earnings gap: $19,709 32. Arizona Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 40.8% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $67,466 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,923 Earnings gap: $19,543 31. Minnesota Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 39.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $72,538 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $52,185 Earnings gap: $20,353 30. South Carolina Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 39.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $63,731 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,860 Earnings gap: $17,871 29. Rhode Island Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 38.3% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $69,496 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $50,264 Earnings gap: $19,232 28. Louisiana CRobertson/Getty Images Degree premium: 37.9% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $59,917 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $43,459 Earnings gap: $16,458 27. Tennessee Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 37.7% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,654 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,492 Earnings gap: $17,162 26. Oklahoma felixmizioznikov/Getty Images Degree premium: 37.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $60,006 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $43,787 Earnings gap: $16,219 25. Arkansas Rdlamkin/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 37.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $57,152 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $41,732 Earnings gap: $15,420 24. Missouri Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 36.9% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,091 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,360 Earnings gap: $16,731 23. New Hampshire George Carmichael/Getty Images Degree premium: 36.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $71,669 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $52,513 Earnings gap: $19,156 22. Nevada miroslav_1/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 35.7% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,782 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $46,278 Earnings gap: $16,504 21. Alabama George Dodd/Getty Images Degree premium: 35.0% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $61,183 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,321 Earnings gap: $15,862 20. Florida WanderDrone/Getty Images Degree premium: 34.2% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $60,618 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,172 Earnings gap: $15,446 19. Kentucky Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 34.2% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $60,854 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,352 Earnings gap: $15,502 18. Delaware Bo Shen/Getty Images Degree premium: 33.8% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $65,673 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $49,094 Earnings gap: $16,579 17. Mississippi SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 32.8% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $55,481 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $41,781 Earnings gap: $13,700 15. (tie) New Mexico MonaMakela/Getty Images Degree premium: 32.2% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $56,159 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $42,468 Earnings gap: $13,691 15. (tie) Indiana Nicholas Klein/Getty Images Degree premium: 32.2% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $63,367 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,929 Earnings gap: $15,438 14. Maine AlbertPego/Getty Images Degree premium: 32.1% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,442 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,269 Earnings gap: $15,173 13. Vermont jenifoto/Getty Images Degree premium: 31.8% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $61,949 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $46,998 Earnings gap: $14,951 12. Idaho knowlesgallery/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 31.7% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $60,198 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $45,707 Earnings gap: $14,491 10. (tie) Nebraska Sean Pavone/Getty Images Degree premium: 31.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,021 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $47,163 Earnings gap: $14,858 10. (tie) Utah Vadym Terelyuk/Getty Images Degree premium: 31.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $65,299 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $49,669 Earnings gap: $15,630 9. Wisconsin marchello74/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 30.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $65,697 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $50,315 Earnings gap: $15,382 8. West Virginia Leonid Andronov/Getty Images Degree premium: 30.4% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $56,967 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $43,674 Earnings gap: $13,293 7. Iowa Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images Degree premium: 29.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,244 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $48,062 Earnings gap: $14,182 6. Montana GummyBone/Getty Images Degree premium: 28.5% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $56,457 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $43,921 Earnings gap: $12,536 5. Alaska Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 25.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $69,031 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $54,950 Earnings gap: $14,081 4. Hawaii Iryna Olkhova/Getty Images Degree premium: 24.6% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $62,969 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $50,549 Earnings gap: $12,420 3. Wyoming Cheri Alguire/Getty Images Degree premium: 22.3% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $54,213 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $44,339 Earnings gap: $9,874 2. North Dakota Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto Degree premium: 17.3% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $60,560 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $51,644 Earnings gap: $8,916 1. South Dakota Ultima_Gaina/Getty Images Degree premium: 17.1% Median earnings with a bachelor's degree: $58,207 Median earnings with some college or an associate degree: $49,698 Earnings gap: $8,509 Read the original article on Business Insider