Average prices and wages as a percentage of U.S. averages, New England states, 2023

Vermont’s average wages have trailed the nation’s for decades, while prices are average. That wage lag is driven by two factors: Wages for many jobs in Vermont are lower than for the same jobs in other states; and very highly paid workers in just a handful of states pull up the national figure. In fact, most states’ wages are lower than the average. But Vermont has one of the biggest gaps between wages and prices. In many states, wages correspond more closely to prices.