Tags: minimum salary | singles | 50 states

$46K Minimum Salary US Singles Need to Get By

$46K Minimum Salary US Singles Need to Get By
A dog frolicks in the water on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Daniel Slim/Getty Images)

By    |   Thursday, 31 August 2023 01:20 PM EDT

The bare minimum that singles need to earn to survive in the U.S. ranges from a low of $45,906 in Mississippi to six figures in Hawaii, according to GoBankingRates.

On average, single American workers need to earn $57,200 to make ends meet, just under the average salary of $59,428 in the United States.

The 5 Most Expensive States to Be Single

State                         Baseline Living Wage

  1. Hawaii                     $112,411
  2. Massachusetts        $87,909
  3. California                $80,013
  4. New York                $73,226
  5. Alaska                     $71,570

Hawaii is the only state where a single working individual would need six figures: $112,411.

GoBanking based its analysis on Bureau of Labor Statistics data and a 50/30/20 budgeting analysis setting aside 50% of a person’s earnings for necessities, 30% for discretionary spending and 20% for savings/investments.

Since housing and necessities comprise 50% of a person’s overhead, GoBanking said, it stands to reason why New York and California are so expensive.

The 5 Least Expensive States to Be Single

State                         Baseline Living Wage

  1. Mississippi             $45,906
  2. Oklahoma               $46,024
  3. Alabama                 $46,577
  4. Arkansas                 $47,111
  5. Kentucky                $47,318
     

Living Wages in All 50 States

RANK

STATE

INCOME REQUIRED

1

Mississippi

$45,906

2

Oklahoma

$46,024

3

Alabama

$46,577

4

Arkansas

$47,111

5

Kentucky

$47,318

6

Kansas

$47,379

7

West Virginia

$47,732

8

Missouri

$47,771

9

Iowa

$48,518

12

Tennessee

$48,774

11

Nebraska

$49,009

10

Georgia

$49,051

13

Illinois

$49,372

14

Wyoming

$49,666

15

Indiana

$49,855

17

Michigan

$50,049

16

Louisiana

$50,087

18

Ohio

$50,157

19

Texas

$50,497

20

New Mexico

$51,214

21

Minnesota

$51,668

22

South Dakota

$52,095

23

South Carolina

$52,222

24

North Dakota

$52,807

25

Wisconsin

$53,122

26

North Carolina

$53,531

27

Pennsylvania

$53,838

28

Utah

$55,293

29

Delaware

$56,571

31

Montana

$57,056

30

Florida

$57,064

32

Virginia

$57,293

34

Nevada

$58,580

33

Idaho

$58,634

35

Colorado

$59,218

36

Rhode Island

$59,936

37

Arizona

$60,026

38

Maine

$60,862

39

New Hampshire

$62,935

40

Connecticut

$63,078

41

New Jersey

$64,463

42

Washington

$65,640

43

Oregon

$65,763

44

Vermont

$65,923

45

Maryland

$67,915

46

Alaska

$71,570

47

New York

$73,226

48

California

$80,013

49

Massachusetts

$87,909

50

Hawaii

$112,411

All data was collected on and up to date as of August 15, 2023.

Source: GOBankingRates

© 2025 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.


StreetTalk
The bare minimum that singles need to earn to survive in the U.S. ranges from a low of $45,906 in Mississippi to six figures in Hawaii, according to GoBankingRates. On average, single American workers need to earn $57,200 to get by, just under the average salary of $59,428.
minimum salary, singles, 50 states
356
2023-20-31
Thursday, 31 August 2023 01:20 PM
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