US states where adults without bachelor's degrees can earn the most, ranked by median earnings

Maryland has the highest median income for adults with some college or an associate degree. Sean Pavone/Getty Images The rising costs of higher education are prompting some people to reconsider four-year degrees. Higher educational attainment is associated with higher earnings across all 50 US states. Adults with some college or an associate degree earn the most in Maryland, with a median of $55,301. The cost of higher education across the US continues to rise, and for many Americans, the decision to pursue a four-year degree is as much a financial calculation as an academic one. Some of the benefits of a college education are intangible, such as the development of character, independence, and critical thinking that come from four years of organized instruction. But going to college can also lead to an earnings premium. Across the US, bachelor's degree-holders earn an average of 38.6% more than adults with an associate degree or those who attended some college but did not complete a four-year degree. That translates to an average earnings gap of about $18,539 a year across states. Business Insider analyzed earnings data from the US Census Bureau 's 2024 American Community Survey and ranked states by the median earnings for adults 25 and older with some college or an associate degree, to account for people who may have pursued careers in more technical trades after graduating from high school. We also identified the median earnings for high school graduates in each state. Across all states, higher levels of education were largely associated with higher median earnings . The ranking does not adjust for differences in cost of living across states, which often overlap with educational attainment levels and can affect how far those earnings go. States with large professional labor markets are often ranked among the highest-cost-of-living states . Still, for people who decide to forgo a four-year education, these are the states ranked by median earnings, from lowest to highest. 50. Arkansas Eduardo Medrano/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $41,732 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,020 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $57,152 49. Mississippi Dennis MacDonald/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $41,781 Median earnings for high school graduates: $35,287 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $55,481 48. New Mexico Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $42,468 Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,038 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $56,159 47. Louisiana Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,459 Median earnings for high school graduates: $35,973 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $59,917 46. West Virginia Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,674 Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,207 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $56,967 45. Oklahoma Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,787 Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,015 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $60,006 44. Montana Photo Spirit/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $43,921 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,322 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $56,457 43. Wyoming Heidi Besen/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $44,339 Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,543 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $54,213 42. North Carolina Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $44,474 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,689 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $65,170 41. Florida Bilanol/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,172 Median earnings for high school graduates: $37,044 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $60,618 40. Alabama Cavan-Images/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,321 Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,147 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $61,183 39. Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky. 44% of Kentucky's revenue consisted of federal funding. Alexey Stiop/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,352 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,137 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $60,854 38. Missouri Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,360 Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,568 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,091 37. Tennessee Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,492 Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,835 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,654 36. Michigan Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,580 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,399 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $66,497 35. Idaho CSNafzger/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,707 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,114 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $60,198 34. Kansas Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,825 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,694 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $65,534 33. South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina. Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,860 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,043 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $63,731 32. Georgia Atlanta, Georgia. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $45,919 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,311 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $70,582 31. Nevada Mossaab Shuraih/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,278 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,969 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,782 30. Ohio Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,601 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,810 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $67,591 29. Vermont Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $46,998 Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,859 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $61,949 28. Nebraska Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,163 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,356 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,021 26. (tie) Texas Cavan-Images/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,269 Median earnings for high school graduates: $38,098 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $69,494 26. (tie) Maine Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,269 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,689 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,442 25. Oregon Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,544 Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,165 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $69,562 24. Illinois JaySi/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,598 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,132 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $72,625 23. Arizona Gerald Peplow/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,923 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,518 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $67,466 22. Indiana Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $47,929 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,985 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $63,367 21. Iowa Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $48,062 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,765 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,244 20. Pennsylvania photosounds/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $48,250 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,765 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $70,261 19. Delaware Real Window Creative/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,094 Median earnings for high school graduates: $39,495 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $65,673 18. New York Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,538 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,608 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $76,760 17. Utah Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,669 Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,405 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $65,299 16. South Dakota Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $49,698 Median earnings for high school graduates: $40,822 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $58,207 15. Rhode Island Providence, Rhode Island. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,264 Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,251 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $69,496 14. Wisconsin Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,315 Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,333 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $65,697 13. Virginia Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,450 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,012 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $75,575 12. Hawaii Marcus E Jones/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $50,549 Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,373 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $62,969 11. California Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,031 Median earnings for high school graduates: $41,535 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $80,874 10. Colorado Mihai_Andritoiu/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,247 Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,010 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $75,637 8. (tie) North Dakota Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,644 Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,787 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $60,560 8. (tie) New Jersey Jersey City, New Jersey. OlegAlbinsky/Getty Images Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,644 Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,624 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $81,107 7. Connecticut Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $51,686 Median earnings for high school graduates: $44,573 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $77,879 6. Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota. joe daniel price/Getty Images Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,185 Median earnings for high school graduates: $42,121 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $72,538 5. Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts. Terelyuk/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,218 Median earnings for high school graduates: $46,742 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $81,784 4. New Hampshire Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $52,513 Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,609 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $71,669 3. Washington Seattle, Washington. Sean Pavone/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $53,857 Median earnings for high school graduates: $47,996 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $81,640 2. Alaska Anchorage, Alaska. Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $54,950 Median earnings for high school graduates: $45,904 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $69,031 1. Maryland Maryland. Kruck20/Getty Images Median earnings for adults with some college or associate degree: $55,301 Median earnings for high school graduates: $45,273 Median earnings for adults with a bachelor's degree: $79,242 Read the original article on Business Insider