The best and worst states to make a living in 2015

(WVUE) -

Whether you're looking for work or eager to advance your career, where you choose to live canmake a real difference.

A new study ranks the best and worst states to make a living in 2015. MoneyRates, a financewebsite, evaluated several factors to determine where workers have the best shot at a healthypaycheck, a decent cost of living and safe workplaces.

Five factors were evaluated. These factors include:

Average wages: Average annual wage data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.State taxrates: MoneyRates analyzed the state tax information collected by the research group TaxFoundation.Cost of living: Data was sourced from the Council for Community and EconomicResearch's Cost of Living Index.The unemployment rate: Data from the U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics.Incidents of workplace illness, injuries and fatalities: This workplace safety data is fromthe BLS, which sourced data from employer reports to the U.S. Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration and the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

The results showed that job prospects are not equal across America. Some states are booming, whileothers still struggle with high unemployment.

Texas was the best state to make a living for 2015, according to the study, moving up fromsecond place last year. It edged out Washington, with the two states trading positions from lastyear.

Hawaii is a tough place for workers looking to get ahead, the study states. It came in dead last inthe analysis of all 50 states, largely due to its sky-high cost of living. Adjusted for taxes and the costof living, workers in Hawaii get the equivalent value of just 55 cents for every dollar they make.

Mobile users can see the full list here.

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http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/29482245/the-best-and-worst-states-to-make-a-living-in-2015