United States
Visualized: The U.S. $20 Trillion Economy by State
Visualized: The U.S. $20 Trillion Economy by State
A sum of its parts, every U.S. state plays an integral role in the country’s overall economy.
Texas, for example, generates an economic output that is comparable to South Korea’s, and even a small geographical area like Washington, D.C. outputs over $129 billion per year.
The visualization above uses 2022 annual data out of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to showcase each state or district’s real gross domestic product (GDP) in chained 2012 dollars, while also highlighting personal income per capita.
A Closer Look at the States
California is by far the biggest state economy in the U.S. at $2.9 trillion in real GDP—and when comparing its nominal value ($3.6 trillion) with national GDPs worldwide, the Golden State’s GDP would rank 5th overall, just below Germany and Japan.
Here’s an up-close look at the data:
Rank | State | Real GDP (chained 2012 dollars) |
---|---|---|
1 | California | $2.9 trillion |
2 | Texas | $1.9 trillion |
3 | New York | $1.6 trillion |
4 | Florida | $1.1 trillion |
5 | Illinois | $798 billion |
6 | Pennsylvania | $726 billion |
7 | Ohio | $639 billion |
8 | Georgia | $591 billion |
9 | Washington | $582 billion |
T9 | New Jersey | $582 billion |
11 | North Carolina | $560 billion |
12 | Massachusetts | $544 billion |
13 | Virginia | $513 billion |
14 | Michigan | $490 billion |
15 | Colorado | $386 billion |
16 | Maryland | $369 billion |
17 | Tennessee | $368 billion |
18 | Arizona | $356 billion |
19 | Indiana | $353 billion |
20 | Minnesota | $350 billion |
21 | Wisconsin | $312 billion |
22 | Missouri | $301 billion |
23 | Connecticut | $253 billion |
24 | Oregon | $235 billion |
25 | South Carolina | $226 billion |
26 | Louisiana | $217 billion |
27 | Alabama | $213 billion |
28 | Kentucky | $201 billion |
29 | Utah | $192 billion |
30 | Oklahoma | $191 billion |
31 | Iowa | $177 billion |
32 | Nevada | $165 billion |
T32 | Kansas | $165 billion |
34 | District of Columbia | $129 billion |
35 | Arkansas | $127 billion |
36 | Nebraska | $124 billion |
37 | Mississippi | $105 billion |
38 | New Mexico | $95 billion |
39 | Idaho | $84 billion |
40 | New Hampshire | $83 billion |
41 | Hawaii | $75 billion |
42 | West Virginia | $72 billion |
43 | Delaware | $66 billion |
44 | Maine | $65 billion |
45 | Rhode Island | $55 billion |
46 | North Dakota | $53 billion |
47 | South Dakota | $50 billion |
T47 | Montana | $50 billion |
T47 | Alaska | $50 billion |
50 | Wyoming | $36 billion |
51 | Vermont | $31 billion |
United States | $20 trillion |
Altogether, California, New York, and Texas account for almost one-third of the country’s economy, combining for $6.3 trillion in real GDP in 2022. The only other state that reached the trillion dollar mark is Florida with $1.1 trillion.
Texas’ economy is driven largely by industries like advanced manufacturing, biotech, life sciences, aerospace, and defense. The state is also home to a number of large companies, like Tesla and Texas Instruments, which make it a hub for jobs, innovation, and opportunity.
New York state is a leader in the insurance, agribusiness, clean energy, and cyber security industries, among many others. Zooming into the New York City area reveals huge sources of economic output from the tourism, media, and financial services sectors.
Regional Disparities
While the aforementioned states are the big hitters, the median GDP per state was much lower at $217 billion in 2022.
Under the BEA’s eight region breakdown, all states in the Great Lakes region had GDPs that were higher than the median, reflecting the industrial strength of states like Illinois and Ohio. Most of the states in the Mideast region including New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland also have GDPs higher than the country median.
Comparatively, many states in the Plains region had lower GDPs, including Iowa and Kansas. Other states with lower GDPs (and generally lower populations) were spread around the country, including lowest-ranked Vermont in New England.
Personal Income per Capita
In addition to real GDP, this voronoi diagram has been color-coded in terms of personal income per capita in each state. Here’s a closer look at those figures:
Rank | State | Personal Income per Capita |
---|---|---|
1 | District of Columbia | $96,728 |
2 | Connecticut | $84,972 |
3 | Massachusetts | $84,945 |
4 | New Jersey | $78,700 |
5 | New York | $78,089 |
6 | California | $77,339 |
7 | Washington | $75,698 |
8 | New Hampshire | $74,663 |
9 | Colorado | $74,167 |
10 | Wyoming | $71,342 |
11 | Maryland | $70,730 |
12 | Alaska | $68,919 |
13 | Illinois | $68,822 |
14 | Virginia | $68,211 |
15 | Minnesota | $68,010 |
16 | North Dakota | $66,184 |
17 | South Dakota | $65,806 |
18 | Rhode Island | $65,377 |
19 | Pennsylvania | $65,167 |
20 | Florida | $63,597 |
21 | Nebraska | $63,321 |
22 | Vermont | $63,206 |
23 | Oregon | $62,767 |
24 | Texas | $61,985 |
25 | Delaware | $61,387 |
26 | Nevada | $61,282 |
27 | Wisconsin | $61,210 |
28 | Hawaii | $61,175 |
29 | Kansas | $60,152 |
30 | Maine | $59,463 |
31 | Iowa | $58,905 |
32 | Tennessee | $58,279 |
33 | Indiana | $57,930 |
34 | Utah | $57,925 |
35 | Ohio | $57,880 |
36 | Montana | $57,719 |
37 | North Carolina | $57,416 |
38 | Georgia | $57,129 |
39 | Michigan | $56,813 |
40 | Arizona | $56,667 |
41 | Missouri | $56,551 |
42 | Oklahoma | $54,998 |
43 | Louisiana | $54,622 |
44 | Idaho | $54,537 |
45 | South Carolina | $53,320 |
46 | Kentucky | $52,109 |
47 | Arkansas | $51,787 |
48 | New Mexico | $51,500 |
49 | Alabama | $50,637 |
50 | West Virginia | $49,169 |
51 | Mississippi | $46,248 |
Economic Engines and Future Growth
Many of the largest state economies are fueled by strong urban populations. These metropolitan cities are the economic engines of the country, driving innovation and attracting new talent.
The NYC-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area is a great example of this, generating over $2 trillion in economic output alone. Los Angeles generated $1.1 trillion.
While these are the obvious and expected hubs, some new cities and states are beginning to attract new business and are anticipating significant economic growth. North Carolina, for example, has been ranked as the best U.S. state to do business in, thanks to a number of factors like ease of access to capital and a strong culture of tech and innovation.
Over time, the centers of economic power may be slowly shifting in the U.S., but for now the top contributors to the nation’s GDP far outpace the rest.
Markets
Visualizing the Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs in 2023
Some jobs need a degree, while others don’t. Here are the top 20 most sought-after entry level jobs with and without a degree.

The Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs of 2023
In the fast-paced realm of job hunting, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. And if you are an entry-level job applicant, the pressure is a notch higher.
New entrants in any job market today compete with groundbreaking technology like ChatGPT in addition to their peers. In the United States, these applicants have to also wade through an uncertain labor market, inflation, and long lists of job requirements.
Indeed.com has identified the most sought-after entry level positions for applicants both with and without a degree in the U.S., and the year-on-year growth of these job postings.
Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs With a Degree
As the U.S. job market recovers from its pandemic slump, some careers are now booming. This in turn has opened up numerous opportunities for entry-level job applicants.
Rank | Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Change in Postings (2022‒2023) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Outside Sales Representative | $60,000 | +258% |
2 | Transportation Coordinator | $47,500 | +227% |
3 | Quality Auditor | $84,500 | +131% |
4 | Accounting | $52,000 | +125% |
5 | Tax Preparer | $67,500 | +123% |
6 | Loan Processor | $55,000 | +100% |
7 | Retention Specialist | $50,000 | +100% |
8 | Network Operations Technician | $85,500 | +94% |
9 | Mental Health Manager | $42,000 | +93% |
10 | Speech-Language Pathologist | $60,000 | +84% |
11 | Geotechnical Engineer | $65,000 | +80% |
12 | Patient Access Manager | $90,000 | +77% |
13 | HR Coordinator | $67,500 | +75% |
14 | Lead Generation Specialist | $62,500 | +73% |
15 | Design Coordinator | $55,000 | +73% |
16 | Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | $74,378 | +71% |
17 | Behavioral Therapist | $50,000 | +68% |
18 | Special Events Coordinator | $54,000 | +67% |
19 | IT Engineer | $92,500 | +67% |
20 | Structural Engineer | $90,000 | +63% |
The demand for sales jobs multiplied this year as customer-facing businesses slowly returned to their pre-pandemic levels.
At the top of this list is the job for an Outside Sales Representative. Paying upwards of $60,000, postings for this job have grown by over 250% in a year, making it the most sought-after position for applicants with a degree.
The healthcare industry has secured its place in the top ranks too. Careers including mental health case managers, speech pathologists, behavioral therapists, and patient access managers dominate the Top 20 list.
Let’s not forget about the tech sector. While entry-level network technicians can earn upwards of $85,000 on average, while IT engineers are paid an entry package of over $90,000.
Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs Without a Degree
Nearly 65% of the U.S. working population does not have a four-year degree. However, millions of these workers continue to be highly skilled across professions and have a shot at some of the most sought-after entry level jobs in the country.
Rank | Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Change in Postings (2022‒2023) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Inventory Manager | $59,000 | +189% |
2 | Auto Body Technician | $82,500 | +100% |
3 | Environmental Health and Safety Specialist | $65,000 | +100% |
4 | Salon Manager | $41,000 | +95% |
5 | Drafting Technician | $50,000 | +94% |
6 | Business Analyst | $72,500 | +82% |
7 | Sheet Metal Mechanic | $62,140 | +67% |
8 | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | $57,500 | +64% |
9 | Catering Manager | $47,500 | +56% |
10 | Transportation/Logistics Coordinator | $62,500 | +53% |
11 | Route Sales Representative | $50,000 | +51% |
12 | Rental Agent | $45,520 | +50% |
13 | Distribution Center Coordinator | $52,500 | +47% |
14 | General Maintenance Technician | $40,650 | +46% |
15 | Patient Care Coordinator | $43,152 | +44% |
16 | Forestry Technician | $45,760 | +43% |
17 | Relationship Banker | $43,576 | +43% |
18 | Field Sales Representative | $57,018 | +42% |
19 | Park Ranger | $45,912 | +42% |
20 | Warehouse Receiver | $45,000 | +39% |
One example of this job is that of an Inventory Manager. The demand for skilled inventory managers in warehouses and companies post-pandemic has doubled the position’s job share in a year.
One of the highest paying non-degree jobs in this list—Auto Body Technician—can fetch highly-skilled entry-level workers a salary of $82,000 per year.
These jobs don’t seem to require a degree according to Indeed. However, the rising competition for these positions might give the upper edge to applicants with one, especially for jobs on the list such as Business Analyst and Relationship Banker.
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