Americans are hard workers, putting in an average of 1,791 hours per year as of 2021, according to the World Economic Forum. That’s 442 hours per year more than Germans work, but 337 fewer than Mexicans do.
Even when given the chance to not work as hard, many Americans won’t. Americans forfeited an average of 4.6 paid days off in 2021. While leaving vacation time on the table may seem strange to some people, there are plenty of reasons why workers choose to do so. Some fear that if they take time off they will look less dedicated to the job than other employees, risking a layoff. Others worry about falling behind on their work or are concerned that the normal workflow will not be able to function without them.
It is possible to work hard without overdoing it, though. Hard work is key to success, and the people of some states understand that better than others. To determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 10 key indicators. They range from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
Main Findings
Hardest-Working States in the U.S.
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Direct Work Factors | Indirect Work Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 67.80 | 1 | 46 |
| 2 | Alaska | 67.44 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 62.43 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 60.47 | 4 | 21 |
| 5 | Texas | 57.91 | 5 | 33 |
| 6 | Virginia | 55.30 | 10 | 8 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 54.68 | 8 | 37 |
| 8 | Kansas | 54.33 | 7 | 44 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 53.98 | 12 | 9 |
| 10 | Wyoming | 53.42 | 6 | 50 |
| 11 | Georgia | 52.45 | 9 | 40 |
| 12 | Colorado | 51.81 | 13 | 17 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 50.92 | 11 | 38 |
| 14 | Maryland | 50.84 | 21 | 2 |
| 15 | Hawaii | 50.54 | 20 | 13 |
| 16 | Utah | 50.22 | 28 | 1 |
| 17 | Indiana | 49.87 | 18 | 18 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 49.34 | 23 | 7 |
| 19 | Alabama | 48.48 | 15 | 41 |
| 20 | Arkansas | 48.38 | 14 | 43 |
| 21 | Louisiana | 48.36 | 17 | 36 |
| 22 | Iowa | 48.14 | 19 | 28 |
| 23 | Mississippi | 46.93 | 16 | 49 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 46.88 | 29 | 5 |
| 25 | Idaho | 46.33 | 25 | 20 |
| 26 | Vermont | 46.13 | 30 | 11 |
| 27 | North Carolina | 45.95 | 24 | 26 |
| 28 | South Carolina | 45.40 | 22 | 45 |
| 29 | Missouri | 44.86 | 26 | 27 |
| 30 | Maine | 44.64 | 35 | 3 |
| 31 | Montana | 44.40 | 32 | 15 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 43.80 | 27 | 30 |
| 33 | Arizona | 43.58 | 33 | 22 |
| 34 | Washington | 43.00 | 36 | 14 |
| 35 | Florida | 40.94 | 31 | 48 |
| 36 | Delaware | 40.84 | 34 | 29 |
| 37 | Nevada | 38.64 | 37 | 34 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | 38.44 | 42 | 12 |
| 39 | Illinois | 37.79 | 38 | 32 |
| 40 | California | 37.42 | 39 | 35 |
| 41 | Oregon | 37.28 | 46 | 6 |
| 42 | Ohio | 36.90 | 40 | 24 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 36.54 | 41 | 25 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | 36.47 | 44 | 19 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 34.77 | 48 | 16 |
| 46 | West Virginia | 34.24 | 43 | 42 |
| 47 | Michigan | 33.05 | 45 | 39 |
| 48 | New York | 32.51 | 50 | 23 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 32.30 | 49 | 31 |
| 50 | New Mexico | 31.26 | 47 | 47 |
Note: No. *1 = Hardest Working
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
- Highest
- 1. Alaska
- T-2. Wyoming
- T-2. North Dakota
- 4. Texas
- 5. Louisiana
- Lowest
- 46. Massachusetts
- T-47. Vermont
- T-47. Oregon
- T-47. Rhode Island
- 50. Utah
- Highest
- 1. Nebraska
- 2. Utah
- 3. South Dakota
- 4. Kansas
- 5. Montana
- Lowest
- 46. Alaska
- 47. New Mexico
- 48. New York
- 49. Nevada
- 50. California
- Lowest
- T-1. North Dakota
- T-1. Vermont
- T-3. Minnesota
- T-3. Massachusetts
- T-5. Nebraska
- T-5. New Hampshire
- Highest
- T-45. Louisiana
- T-45. New Mexico
- T-45. Nevada
- T-48. Mississippi
- T-48. West Virginia
- 50. Alaska
- Highest
- T-1. Utah
- T-1. Oregon
- 3. Alaska
- 4. Maryland
- 5. Nebraska
- Lowest
- 46. Alabama
- 47. Illinois
- 48. Florida
- 49. New York
- 50. Mississippi
- Lowest
- 1. Utah
- 2. Alaska
- 3. Vermont
- 4. New Mexico
- 5. Connecticut
- Highest
- 46. Ohio
- T-47. Delaware
- T-47. West Virginia
- 49. North Dakota
- 50. Wyoming
Ask the Experts
The hard work ethic of Americans has brought about the creation of many successful businesses. But overworking can take a harsh toll on workers. For additional insight on both productivity and the condition of workers, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- In the current economic environment, do you believe wages will register a true increase or will people need to work extra or get a second job?
- What impact do you believe automatization will have on the American worker? How will new industrial developments, like 3D printing and machine learning, impact the productivity of the average worker? How about his/her income?
- Do you believe job conditions are on the rise in the U.S.? What measures should authorities undertake in order to better protect workers?
- As most economic activity has resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the most important measures that can be taken to ensure workers’ safety?
Ask the Experts
Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics – State University of New York at Binghamton
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Assistant Dean of Career Services, College of Law, Office of Career Services – Syracuse University
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Faculty, Chair Social/Behavioral Science – Norwalk Community College
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Department of Economics – University of California, Davis
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Ph.D. Student, Department of Economics, Fogelman College of Business and Economics – University of Memphis
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Ph.D. – Donald L. Wilson Professor of Enterprise & Leadership, Professor of Economics – Grinnell College
Read More
Methodology
In order to determine where the hardest-working Americans live, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions: “Direct Work Factors” and “Indirect Work Factors.”
We evaluated those dimensions using ten key metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “hardest-working.”
We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.
Direct Work Factors – Total Points: 80
- Average Workweek Hours: Triple Weight (~36.92 Points)
- Employment Rate: Full Weight (~12.31 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: civilian population aged 16 and over employed / total civilian population aged 16 and over in labor force. - Share of Households where No Adults Work: Full Weight (~12.31 Points)
- Share of Workers Leaving Vacation Time Unused: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)
- Share of Engaged Workers: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of employees who are “involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace,” as defined by Gallup. - Idle Youth (18-24) Rate: Half Weight (~6.15 Points)
Note: This metric measures the rate of residents aged 18-24 who are not currently enrolled in school, not working and have no degree beyond a high school diploma or GED.
Indirect Work Factors – Total Points: 20
- Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Share of Workers with Multiple Jobs: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as share of employed population with multiple jobs among total employed population. - Annual Volunteer Hours per Resident: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Travel Association, Gallup, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Corporation for National & Community Service.
Supporting Video Files:
- YouTube - National (for web embedding)
- YouTube - North Dakota (for web embedding)
- Raw video files (for editing into clips)
