The average salary for an economist in the United States is around $124,720 per year.
Avg Salary
Economists earn an average yearly salary of $124,720.
Wages typically start from $67,360 and go up to $238,060.
107% above national average Updated in 2025
Economist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level economist earnings begin at:
$114.45 per hour
$238,060 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level economist earnings begin at:
$84.00 per hour
$174,720 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level economist earnings begin at:
$59.96 per hour
$124,720 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level economist earnings begin at:
$42.95 per hour
$89,330 per year
10th percentile
Starting level economist earnings begin at:
$32.38 per hour
$67,360 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Economist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Iowa | $96,310 |
| Arkansas | $91,560 |
| Maine | $91,480 |
| Nevada | $91,340 |
| Utah | $90,750 |
| Oklahoma | $89,980 |
| Montana | $89,340 |
| New Hampshire | $86,130 |
| Wisconsin | $84,000 |
| Hawaii | $83,050 |
| Vermont | $81,700 |
| Indiana | $80,750 |
| Arizona | $79,610 |
| Nebraska | $75,880 |
| South Carolina | $75,380 |
| Louisiana | $73,050 |
| Wyoming | $72,730 |
| Kentucky | $71,400 |
| New Mexico | $67,700 |
| Mississippi | $65,410 |
| West Virginia | $65,350 |
| Puerto Rico | $35,640 |
| District of Columbia | $167,590 |
| New Jersey | $167,550 |
| Delaware | $159,120 |
| Maryland | $144,680 |
| Kansas | $138,790 |
| Virginia | $137,590 |
| New York | $136,660 |
| North Carolina | $136,150 |
| Idaho | $131,270 |
| Alabama | $129,960 |
| Georgia | $122,570 |
| Oregon | $122,120 |
| Texas | $121,420 |
| Colorado | $121,410 |
| Ohio | $120,000 |
| California | $119,410 |
| Tennessee | $117,650 |
| Missouri | $117,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $115,000 |
| Alaska | $111,040 |
| Washington | $109,300 |
| Massachusetts | $106,380 |
| Michigan | $106,350 |
| Illinois | $105,980 |
| Minnesota | $105,120 |
| Florida | $102,430 |
| Connecticut | $101,400 |
How do economist salaries compare to similar careers?
Economists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than human resources managers but more than operations managers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Human resources manager salary | $149K |
| Financial advisor salary | $105K |
| Purchasing manager salary | $148K |
| Investment fund manager salary | $142K |
| Supply chain manager salary | $142K |
| Economist salary | $125K |
| Talent agent salary | $83K |
| Actuary salary | $130K |
| Fundraising manager salary | $125K |
| Operations manager salary | $106K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)