Where to Move to Make the Most Money for Doing Your Job

Welders in Alaska make 80 percent more than the average welder nationwide. (AP Photo)

Printing press operators in Washington, D.C. make more than double each year than their peers do nationwide. The same is true for judicial law clerks in New York, while tile and marble setters in Massachusetts make 70 percent more on average than people doing similar jobs elsewhere in the United States.

Commercial pilots’ wage difference, the gap between the highest and the lowest earners, was more than $100,000 in May 2014. (AP Photo)

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows people in the same occupation often make vastly different wages.

For example, the median annual wage for commercial pilots was $75,620. However, commercial pilots’ wage difference, the gap between the highest and the lowest earners, was more than $100,000.

There are a variety of reasons why wages vary. Geographic location is one of them. Some states or areas pay more than others for jobs in an occupation.

Local demand for those particular skills and cost of living are among the geographic factors that can affect wages.

Other reasons for wage gaps in the same occupation can include differences in credentials, experience and skill, specific job tasks, and success and performance of the individual worker.

Varying education levels is one of the reasons for significant wage differences in certain science, math and engineering occupations. Jobs that require a higher degree are likely to pay more. The wage difference between geoscientists was $140,800, with workers in the 10th percentile earning $46,400 and the highest earners taking home $187,200.

Using the detailed information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Insider developed the map below showing the most disproportionately well-paid job in each state.