In about 25% of states, the company that pays its workers the most money is in the health care industry, according to data gathered by AFL-CIO.

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About the data

AFL-CIO created a database on company pay using pay ratio data employers release under a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandate. In 2018, SEC mandated that all public companies disclose the ratio between the CEO's salary and their employee pay.

AFL-CIO used the 2018 data to examine the median pay by state for companies in the Russell 3,000, an index listing the 3,000 largest publicly traded companies by stock value.

The highest paying health care companies by state

AFL-CIO found that in about 25% of states, the highest-paying company was in the health care industry.

The states where the highest paying company is in the health care industry are:

• Arizona;
• California;
• Delaware;
• Indiana;
• Kentucky;
• Massachusetts;
• Michigan;
• New Jersey;
• North Carolina;
• Pennsylvania;
• Tennessee; and
• Washington.

Overall, the six highest-paying companies in the country by median worker pay were all in the health care sector. They are:

1. Madrigal Pharmaceuticals ($804,000);
2. Corcept Therapeutics ($681,316);
3. Esperion Therapeutics ($601,814);
4. SAGE Therapeutics ($589,166);
5. Prothena Corp. ($570,553); and
6. Geron Corp. ($543,149).

Below is a map listing the highest-paying health care company for each state, based on the Russell 3,000.

(Raimonde, "Money," CNN, 8/13; AFL-CIO database, accessed 8/19).