Maps/Median Salary by State/West Virginia
State Index · Salary · West Virginia · 2024
$43,320

Average Salary in West Virginia

Rank #49 of 5085.6% of national averageSource: BLS OEWS (May 2024)

West Virginia ranks #49 of 51 for median salary in 2026.

Take-home pay in West Virginia →Compare statesDownload image
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BLS OEWS, May 2024 · updated Apr 2026
Median Salary by State map showing 51 states. Hover or tap a state for details.
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Median Salary by State

Low → High

  • $39K – $46K11 states
  • $46K – $48K10 states
  • $48K – $49K10 states
  • $49K – $54K10 states
  • $54K – $88K10 states
West Virginia · long-form pSEO

Go deeper on West Virginia

Eight state-specific guides. Each one is a full long-form page — not a calculator with a querystring. Tap any card to open the West Virginia edition.

  • Calculator + brackets

    West Virginia salary calculator

    Take-home pay, state + federal tax, FICA, full bracket breakdown.

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  • Long-form guide

    West Virginia salary hub

    Complete salary, payroll tax, and compensation playbook for this state.

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  • Distribution

    West Virginia income percentile

    Find what percentile your income falls in vs other residents.

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  • 2026 brackets

    West Virginia tax brackets

    Marginal rates, bracket cutoffs, deductions for 2026 tax year.

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  • Long-form guide

    West Virginia tax hub

    State income, sales, property, and excise tax — all in one place.

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  • Long-form guide

    West Virginia mortgage hub

    Rates, affordability, closing costs, property tax for buying here.

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  • Founder guide

    Start a business in West Virginia

    LLC formation, registration fees, taxes — full launch checklist.

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  • Tax guide

    West Virginia crypto tax guide

    How crypto is taxed at the state level + reporting cheat sheet.

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Full ranking

All 50 states ranked

Source: BLS OEWS (May 2024)

RankStateMedian Salary% of US
1District of Columbia$88,000174.0%
2Massachusetts$62,270123.1%
3Washington$61,590121.8%
4Alaska$59,400117.4%
5New York$58,560115.8%
6Connecticut$58,400115.4%
7Colorado$58,210115.1%
8Maryland$58,050114.8%
9New Jersey$57,230113.1%
10California$56,940112.6%
Show all 50 states (41 more) ↓Show top 10 only ↑
11Rhode Island$54,040106.8%
12Minnesota$53,810106.4%
13Oregon$53,390105.5%
14Hawaii$53,260105.3%
15Virginia$53,020104.8%
16New Hampshire$52,610104.0%
17Vermont$52,410103.6%
18Delaware$51,030100.9%
19North Dakota$50,32099.5%
20Illinois$50,00098.8%
21Maine$49,44097.7%
22Wyoming$49,16097.2%
23Wisconsin$48,93096.7%
24Arizona$48,81096.5%
25Utah$48,60096.1%
26Pennsylvania$48,55096.0%
27Michigan$48,30095.5%
28Ohio$48,06095.0%
29Nebraska$47,99094.9%
30Iowa$47,67094.2%
31Texas$47,50093.9%
32Montana$47,36093.6%
33Georgia$47,02093.0%
34North Carolina$46,95092.8%
35Indiana$46,93092.8%
36Florida$46,86092.6%
37Kansas$46,85092.6%
38Idaho$46,47091.9%
39Nevada$46,44091.8%
40Missouri$46,39091.7%
41Tennessee$46,12091.2%
42New Mexico$45,87090.7%
43Kentucky$45,74090.4%
44South Dakota$45,62090.2%
45South Carolina$44,76088.5%
46Oklahoma$43,95086.9%
47Alabama$43,83086.6%
48Louisiana$43,77086.5%
49West Virginia$43,32085.6%
50Arkansas$41,02081.1%
51Mississippi$39,07077.2%

Updated 2025-04-01. Click any state for the full breakdown.

FAQ

West Virginia salary: common questions

What is the average salary in West Virginia?

West Virginia salary is $43,320 as of May 2024, according to BLS OEWS. That puts West Virginia at rank #49 of 50 US states, below the national average of $50,607.477.

How does West Virginia compare to nearby states?

Among West Virginia's neighbors, Pennsylvania shows $48,550, Maryland shows $58,050, Virginia shows $53,020. Use the CalcFi compare view to line all of them up: /maps/compare?cat=salary&states=wv,pa,md,va. Nearby states share labor markets and housing corridors, so the comparison is usually the most relevant one.

Which West Virginia metros have the highest salary?

Top West Virginia metros include Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown. City-level salary data drops in Q3 2026 once BLS releases its metro-area tables for the year. Charleston is the state capital. Until then, the state-level number is the best available read.

Is $43,320 a good salary in West Virginia?

A $43,320 salary in West Virginia tracks the state median reported by BLS OEWS. "Good" depends on your metro, occupation, and household size. Use the CalcFi paycheck calculator for take-home and the cost-of-living comparison to see how far that salary stretches in your city.

More on this state

West Virginia data, by category

Tax burden in West Virginia →Cost of living in West Virginia →Mortgage rate in West Virginia →Rent in West Virginia →

Nearby states

Pennsylvania salary →Maryland salary →Virginia salary →

Related calculators

  • Salary by state overview →
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Top West Virginia cities · Median Salary by State

1 cities ranked by median salary by state. Higher is better.

Compare top 1 →

Note: City-level wage data lands in Phase 2 (BLS OEWS metro). Until then, household income from Census ACS — real city number, different denominator than state map.

  1. 1Charlestonpop 220k$46,200
Methodology

Median annual wages for all occupations, from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. State-level values are OEWS "A_MEDIAN" for cross-industry all-occupations.