In the last decade, Arizona ranks near the bottom of states for salary growth, even as it has been among the national leaders in terms of overall job growth. Wages grew fastest in North Dakota, where an oil and gas boom fueled a 49% growth since 2008. In Washington state, wages grew nearly 42% to an average annual salary of more than $66,000. 5 out of the 8 states in the Mountain subregion for salary growth since 2008. The best Mountain state was Montana, which saw salaries grow by 30.33%, followed by Utah (27.73%), Idaho (26.51%) and Colorado (26.44%).