Just looked at some salary data across the US and the regional differences are pretty wild. Turns out where you live really does matter for your paycheck, way more than I expected.

So the study breaks down median income by age group in every state, and there's some interesting patterns. Gen X is pulling in the highest numbers overall, but it's not consistent everywhere. Places like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland are showing some seriously high average salary figures - especially for people in their peak earning years (45-64 range). New Jersey specifically stands out with median income hitting over $106k for the 25-44 age group and jumping to $117k for 45-64. That's pretty solid compared to most states.

On the flip side, Mississippi and West Virginia are consistently at the bottom across all age groups. Mississippi's particularly rough - even Gen X isn't making much there. Hawaii's interesting because the older folks (65+) are actually earning more than you'd expect, highest boomer earnings in the country apparently.

Gen Z has it rough though - lowest salaries overall, and West Virginia is especially brutal for them. Makes sense given the economic conditions they're entering the job market into. The Alaska numbers jumped out at me too - pretty high across the board, even for young workers.

If you're thinking about relocating or just curious where your income stacks up, this data's from mid-2024 so it's pretty recent. Definitely worth checking where your age group sits in your state compared to others.