Happiest States to Work in America, 2025 Report

According to a November 2025 report on job satisfaction across America, Hawaii ranks first for employee happiness, with workers enjoying high salaries and a strong emotional connection to their workplace. The study by the digital business‑card provider Wave Connect examined all 50 states based on financial and work-life balance indicators.

• Hawaii has the happiest employees in America, with average salaries exceeding $63K and 35% of workers reporting loving what they do.

• Delaware offers the best work-life balance in America, with the shortest 32-hour work weeks giving employees the most time for family and hobbies.

• Connecticut and Massachusetts workers have the lowest quit rate at 1.3%, showing employees stay with their jobs longer than anywhere else.

The research analyzed employee happiness levels using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Gallup engagement surveys. States received scores based on year-over-year household income growth, along with average work hours, and time available for personal life after work and sleep. The research also factored in employee engagement rates showing emotional connection to work, quit rates indicating job satisfaction, and overall state happiness levels.

Here's a look at the states with the happiest employees:

State	Annual Salary ($)	Work-Life Balance Score	Employee Engagement Rate (%)	State Happiness Index	Quit Rate (%)	Employee Happiness Score
Hawaii	63.3K	76.9	35	68.7	2.0	77
Delaware	52.9K	99.0	36	60.4	2.4	72
Maine	54.8K	69.8	35	51.6	1.8	67
South Dakota	53.2K	69.8	32	57.6	2.1	62
Connecticut	66.0K	65.0	31	60.1	1.3	61
Massachusetts	71.8K	67.4	29	58.2	1.3	60
Maryland	60.6K	69.8	32	64.7	1.9	59
Minnesota	64.7K	74.5	31	60.4	2.0	58
New Jersey	63.4K	65.0	29	62.5	1.6	57
Vermont	59.2K	62.8	33	50.5	1.9	56

You can access the complete research findings here.

1. Hawaii

• Average Annual Salary ($): $63.3K

• Work-life balance score: 76.9 out of 100

• Employee engagement rate: 35%

• State happiness index: 69

• Quit rate: 2%

• Employee happiness score: 77

Hawaii takes first place as the state with the most satisfied workers. Employees here show a strong emotional connection to work, with 35% of them reporting high engagement with their jobs (4% higher than the national average). The quit rate sits at just 2%. With an annual average salary of $63.3K, Hawaiians also rank first in overall happiness.

2. Delaware

Delaware comes in second with the highest work-life balance score in the entire country. This is because Delaware residents enjoy the shortest 32-hour workweeks and have more time available for personal life. The state also leads in employee engagement at 36%, showing that workers are truly invested in what they do. Delaware's average annual salary here reaches $52.9K, up 2.92% from the previous year.

3. Maine

Maine takes third place with a low turnover rate of 1.8%, with workers here unlikely to leave their jobs. Maine employees earn an average salary of $54.8K annually, ranking just behind Hawaii and Delaware. With a happiness index of 52, Maine residents report a fair level of life satisfaction.

4. South Dakota

South Dakota ranks fourth with a good work-life balance score, as employees here spend only 33.5 hours weekly in offices. Quit rates are low, at 2.1%, suggesting high satisfaction with employment conditions and the workplace. Average annual pay stands at $53.2K, while the hourly rate has risen by nearly 6% from the previous year.

5. Connecticut

Connecticut rounds out the top five states with the happiest employees. Residents here work 34 hours each week, which leaves them with plenty of time for family and personal matters. Almost a third of local workers also report enjoying their workplaces, and given the high job satisfaction rate, the state records only 1.3% employee turnover, the lowest in the country.

George El-Hage, Founder & CEO of Wave Connect, commented on the study.

“Half of the top 10 states for employee happiness are in the Northeast, which makes sense when you look at the numbers. Salaries are higher there, but work hours stay roughly the same as everywhere else. That combination gives people more money to save, better access to services, and stronger public infrastructure funded by higher tax revenues. Meanwhile, 7 of the bottom 10 states sit in the South and Midwest, with Iowa ranking dead last. The pattern is clear: workers in these states put in long hours but take home less pay, creating a cycle where people feel overworked and underpaid.”