Your paycheck really depends on where you live. New data shows some wild disparities:

**The Winners:**
- Maryland & Connecticut peak earners (45-64): $107k-$119k
- Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington also crushing it in mid-career
- Alaska young professionals already hitting $96k+ (ages 25-44)

**The Rough Patches:**
- Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana: median income stays under $65k even at peak earning years
- West Virginia's Gen Z hits rock bottom at just $27k
- Southern states generally lag by $20-30k vs. Northeast/West Coast

**Age gap is REAL:**
- Entry-level (15-24): $27k-$58k range
- Peak years (45-64): $60k-$119k range
- Basically 2-4x income jump if you stay in your career

**Key insight:** It's not just WHAT you do, it's WHERE you do it. Same job in Maryland vs. Mississippi could mean $50k difference. Cost of living factors in, but the gap is still brutal.

Generation X pulls the highest average salaries nationwide, while Gen Z is still climbing out of the entry-level basement.

Data source: Scholaroo (May 2024)