The top 5 highest and lowest paid jobs by state

With the headline-grabbing salaries of tech jobs flooding social media, it can be surprising to find that the highest-paying jobs in the US aren't in tech at all. According to a recent report from Zippia, the jobs with the largest salaries in each state are nearly all in the medical field, in one way or another.

In its report, Zippia breaks down the highest- and lowest-paid jobs by state and their average salaries, using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs like surgeon and anesthesiologist make the list multiple times, but these positions earn the most money in states throughout the middle of the country, not on the coasts.

SEE: IT jobs 2018: Hiring priorities, growth areas, and strategies to fill open roles (Tech Pro Research)

According to Zippia's report, here are the top five highest paid jobs by state in the US:

1. State: Alabama

Position: Orthodontists

Salary: $289,740

2. State: Florida

Position: Oral Surgeons

Salary: $288,450

3. State: Maine

Position: Surgeons

Salary: $287,030

4. State: Delaware

Position: Surgeons

Salary: $286,400

5. State: North Dakota

Position: Anesthesiologists

Salary: $286,250

The lowest-paid jobs in the US were more varied. The list includes service jobs in industries specific to certain regions in the US (like gaming in Nevada). These jobs netted roughly $17,000-$18,000 per year, more than 90% lower than the top-paying jobs.

Here are the lowest-paying jobs by state in the US, according to the report:

1. State: South Carolina

Position: Baggage Porters and Bellhops

Salary: $17,810

2. State: Iowa

Position: Motion Picture Projectionists

Salary: $17,820

3. State: Nevada

Position: Gaming Dealers

Salary: $18,000

4. State: North Carolina

Position: Gaming Dealers

Salary: $18,040

5. State: Kentucky

Position: Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other

Salary: $18,110

For the full list of the top-paying jobs by state, and more information on Zippia's methodology, check out the full report here. To learn about America's highest-paying tech jobs, check out this TechRepublic article.

The big takeaways for tech leaders:

• The highest-paying job by state in the US is orthodontist in Alabama at $289,740 per year. -- Zippia, 2018
• The lowest-paying job by state in the US is baggage porters and bellhops in South Carolina at $17,810 per year. -- Zippia, 2018

Also see

• Interview tips: How to land your next tech job (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• The 10 IT jobs that will be most in-demand in 2020 (ZDNet)
• How to become a developer: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
• Which programming languages pay best, most popular? Developers' top choices (ZDNet)
• America's 13 highest-paying tech jobs for 2018 (TechRepublic)