Just looked at some salary data across the US and it's wild how much location actually matters for your paycheck. Like, someone in their 30s-40s making $100k in California is doing decent, but that same person in Mississippi? They're looking at closer to $60k. The gap is insane.

What caught my eye is how differently average age by state plays into earnings. Gen X seems to be cashing out the most overall, but it's not even across the board. Hawaii's older workers are pulling in solid numbers—over $77k for retirement age folks—while West Virginia's younger generation is struggling with some of the lowest entry-level salaries in the country, under $28k for ages 15-24.

The coastal states and tech hubs are obviously crushing it. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland—25-44 year olds there are hitting $105k+. Meanwhile, the rural and southern states are lagging pretty far behind. Even within the same age group, you could be earning 40-50% more just by being in the right state. Makes you think about whether it's worth relocating for work, honestly.