Private-sector workers in these states had the biggest pay raises over the past year

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock Workers got historically large raises between March 2022 and March 2023, as companies scrambled to fill jobs. The standard 3% average increase gave way as compensation for workers in private industry rose 4.8% over the year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That includes a 5.1% increase in wages and salaries and a 4.3% boost in benefit costs. Employers are predicting hikes of 4.6% for 2023, according to one survey of 1,550 U.S. companies by Willis Towers Watson. But whether those amounts will help keep employees is far from certain. Another survey from Remote.co, which focuses on remote work, reports that 4 in 5 employees find inflation is outpacing their salaries. For urban consumers, the cost of goods increased 5% from March 2022 to 2023. Some human resources professionals say it would take compensation increases of 8% to 10% to convince workers to stay in their jobs. The job market is cooling, with openings falling in February 2023 to the lowest level since May 2021. But the number is still above the level before the coronavirus pandemic. Inflation also is cooling, with prices increasing at the slowest pace in the 12 months ending in March 2023. They rose 5% in the preceding 12 months, down from 9% in the summer of 2022. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find which states had the largest pay increases from March 2022 to 2023. The analysis also includes the monthly change in pay. Maryland and Washington D.C. experienced wage decreases year over year and weren’t included in the rankings. #49. Virginia Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $32.97 per hour – Annual change: +1.1% – Monthly change: -1.5% #48. Iowa Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.10 per hour – Annual change: +1.2% – Monthly change: -0.7% #47. Illinois Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $32.81 per hour – Annual change: +1.3% – Monthly change: -0.2% #46. New Mexico Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $26.90 per hour – Annual change: +2.1% – Monthly change: -1.4% #45. Alabama Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.86 per hour – Annual change: +2.7% – Monthly change: -0.9% #44. New York Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $36.50 per hour – Annual change: +2.8% – Monthly change: -0.4% #43. Indiana Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.38 per hour – Annual change: +2.8% – Monthly change: -1.0% #42. Wyoming LBill45 // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.92 per hour – Annual change: +2.8% – Monthly change: -0.7% #41. Michigan Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.75 per hour – Annual change: +2.9% – Monthly change: -0.1% #40. Delaware Real Window Creative // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.37 per hour – Annual change: +3.0% – Monthly change: -0.9% #39. Kansas Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.31 per hour – Annual change: +3.0% – Monthly change: +0.4% #38. Wisconsin Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.63 per hour – Annual change: +3.1% – Monthly change: +0.2% #37. Nebraska Katherine Welles // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.26 per hour – Annual change: +3.2% – Monthly change: 0.0% #36. California Marek Masik // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $38.00 per hour – Annual change: +3.3% – Monthly change: +0.2% #35. New Jersey Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $34.72 per hour – Annual change: +3.5% – Monthly change: -0.9% #34. New Hampshire Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $33.68 per hour – Annual change: +3.6% – Monthly change: -0.6% #33. Georgia Canva – March 2023 average wage: $30.21 per hour – Annual change: +3.6% – Monthly change: -1.8% #32. Massachusetts Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $40.29 per hour – Annual change: +4.0% – Monthly change: -0.3% #31. Maine Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.66 per hour – Annual change: +4.1% – Monthly change: -0.9% #30. Hawaii Canva – March 2023 average wage: $34.29 per hour – Annual change: +4.4% – Monthly change: -0.2% #29. Colorado Canva – March 2023 average wage: $35.21 per hour – Annual change: +4.4% – Monthly change: -0.2% #28. Minnesota Canva – March 2023 average wage: $35.16 per hour – Annual change: +4.5% – Monthly change: -0.4% #27. Kentucky Rotorhead 30A Productions // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $27.86 per hour – Annual change: +4.6% – Monthly change: +1.2% #26. North Carolina Sharkshock // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.98 per hour – Annual change: +4.7% – Monthly change: -0.3% #25. Mississippi Canva – March 2023 average wage: $24.75 per hour – Annual change: +4.7% – Monthly change: +0.6% #24. South Dakota JohnDSmith // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.25 per hour – Annual change: +4.8% – Monthly change: +0.1% #23. Alaska Canva – March 2023 average wage: $34.22 per hour – Annual change: +4.8% – Monthly change: -0.4% #22. Connecticut Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $35.81 per hour – Annual change: +4.9% – Monthly change: -0.2% #21. Nevada randy andy // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.39 per hour – Annual change: +4.9% – Monthly change: -0.4% #20. Pennsylvania ESB Professional // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.79 per hour – Annual change: +5.0% – Monthly change: +0.1% #19. Arizona Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $31.12 per hour – Annual change: +5.1% – Monthly change: -1.1% #18. Utah Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $32.42 per hour – Annual change: +5.3% – Monthly change: -0.6% #17. Washington Agnieszka Gaul // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $39.00 per hour – Annual change: +5.3% – Monthly change: -0.2% #16. Louisiana Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.33 per hour – Annual change: +5.3% – Monthly change: 0.0% #15. Tennessee Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.09 per hour – Annual change: +5.3% – Monthly change: -0.4% #14. South Carolina f11photo // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.14 per hour – Annual change: +5.7% – Monthly change: +1.6% #13. Arkansas Canva – March 2023 average wage: $27.02 per hour – Annual change: +5.8% – Monthly change: -0.9% #12. Texas Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $31.12 per hour – Annual change: +5.9% – Monthly change: -0.2% #11. Florida Mia2you // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.94 per hour – Annual change: +6.5% – Monthly change: +1.4% #10. Missouri TommyBrison // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $30.14 per hour – Annual change: +6.6% – Monthly change: -0.4% #9. Idaho Charles Knowles // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.20 per hour – Annual change: +6.6% – Monthly change: +0.6% #8. Ohio Canva – March 2023 average wage: $30.41 per hour – Annual change: +6.6% – Monthly change: -0.5% #7. Montana Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $29.13 per hour – Annual change: +6.9% – Monthly change: -2.5% #6. Vermont Albert Pego // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $31.88 per hour – Annual change: +7.4% – Monthly change: +1.1% #5. West Virginia Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.08 per hour – Annual change: +7.4% – Monthly change: +1.1% #4. Oklahoma Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $28.32 per hour – Annual change: +8.1% – Monthly change: -0.5% #3. North Dakota Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $32.47 per hour – Annual change: +8.2% – Monthly change: -1.0% #2. Oregon Sean Pavone // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $34.12 per hour – Annual change: +8.6% – Monthly change: +0.2% #1. Rhode Island George Wirt // Shutterstock – March 2023 average wage: $34.08 per hour – Annual change: +10.2% – Monthly change: -1.3% Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Elizabeth Ciano.