Home › State salaries › Connecticut
Average Salary in Connecticut
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Connecticut, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 640 occupations in Connecticut. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Connecticut's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Connecticut jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Connecticut
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Connecticut is cardiologists, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 509.7% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 260 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Connecticut pays 4.3% lower for this work. Next on the list are chief executives at a mean of $239,200+ and orthodontists at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 1,770 people in Connecticut, so they describe the top of the Connecticut wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | 260 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Chief Executives | 1,430 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthodontists | 80 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 550 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Radiologists | 270 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Psychiatrists | 430 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 180 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | 40 | $107.51 | $223,620 | $239,200+ |
| Neurologists | 130 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, Pathologists | 60 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 240 | $94.17 | $195,860 | $239,200+ |
| Commercial Pilots | 360 | — | $227,140 | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, All Other | 4,740 | $109.48 | $227,720 | $229,670 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 570 | $109.58 | $227,930 | $223,660 |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,300 | $103.72 | $215,730 | $219,440 |
Largest occupations in Connecticut
The occupation with the most jobs in Connecticut is general and operations managers, employing an estimated 46,780 people at a median annual wage of $130,230 and a mean of $160,220. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $102,950, so Connecticut's typical pay for this work runs 26.5% higher. The next-largest occupations are home health and personal care aides (41,890 jobs, median $38,200) and retail salespersons (41,890 jobs, median $35,350). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Connecticut pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 46,780 | $130,230 | $160,220 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 41,890 | $38,200 | $39,160 |
| Retail Salespersons | 41,890 | $35,350 | $40,490 |
| Registered Nurses | 39,020 | $101,590 | $103,670 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 36,140 | $40,010 | $40,860 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 32,180 | $33,980 | $34,960 |
| Cashiers | 32,110 | $34,030 | $35,330 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 29,660 | $36,800 | $41,330 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 28,140 | $47,260 | $50,560 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 26,840 | $40,170 | $43,380 |
| Office Clerks, General | 25,750 | $46,490 | $49,150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 25,280 | $76,000 | $78,570 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 22,690 | $55,690 | $57,860 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 21,720 | $36,440 | $45,590 |
| Nursing Assistants | 21,390 | $44,500 | $44,860 |
Where Connecticut pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Connecticut median with its own national median shows where Connecticut's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Connecticut jobs, the largest premium is for securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents: a median of $130,990 in Connecticut versus $78,140 nationally, 67.6% higher. The largest discount is for electronics engineers, except computer, at $103,740 in Connecticut versus $127,590 nationally, 18.7% lower. In total, 229 of the 269 occupations with 1,000 or more Connecticut jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 295 of the 640 occupations published for Connecticut have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Connecticut's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Connecticut median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $130,990 | $78,140 | +67.6% |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | $97,020 | $63,910 | +51.8% |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $94,600 | $64,520 | +46.6% |
| Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | $65,790 | $46,180 | +42.5% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $146,460 | $104,070 | +40.7% |
| Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | $40,320 | $46,040 | -12.4% |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $39,890 | $46,060 | -13.4% |
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | $57,120 | $67,430 | -15.3% |
| Web Developers | $75,280 | $90,930 | -17.2% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $103,740 | $127,590 | -18.7% |
Connecticut salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Connecticut?
By average pay, cardiologists is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Connecticut, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Connecticut?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Connecticut, the largest occupation, general and operations managers, paid a median of $130,230 across 46,780 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 640 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Connecticut have?
General and Operations Managers is the largest occupation published for Connecticut, with an estimated 46,780 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $160,220.
Which occupations pay more in Connecticut than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Connecticut jobs, securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents shows the largest premium: a median of $130,990 in Connecticut versus $78,140 nationally, 67.6% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.