Most workers make about the same as before the pandemic — except in these states

Tim Henderson | Stateline.org (TNS)

The typical U.S. worker’s pay is about the same as it was in late 2019, after accounting for inflation. But workers in some states have seen sharply higher earnings, especially in scenic areas that are appealing to remote workers and have labor shortages.

In Montana, for example, average pay has increased 28.3% since before the pandemic, easily beating the roughly 19% national inflation rate during that time. That translates into an average raise of $260 a week to $1,178.