Orlov Sergei // Shutterstock

States with the highest-paid casino dealers

Much like casinos themselves, casino dealing is, for many people, a job shrouded in mystery. Casino dealers are responsible for dealing cards, dropping the roulette ball, distributing dice, and monitoring the pot to ensure no one steals or cheats. To become a dealer, one must complete a casino dealing training course, which entails learning the intricacies and rules of each game, what local and state gambling laws are, and how to spot cheaters. Depending on state regulations, dealers may need to obtain a state or municipal license before they can begin working. Being a good dealer also means you need to be a people person, quick at math, and skilled at facilitating games.

But, much like other service industry jobs, dealers often receive a somewhat low base salary, and tips from players can make or break income. Hourly wages vary greatly among states and even among casinos, and tips can fluctuate drastically based on location or the whims of players. In San Francisco, for instance, dealers can take home $125,921 a year, which is 50% above the national average salary for a casino dealer

PokerListings explored casino dealer salary rates to determine which state has the highest-paid employees, using data from Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report from May 2020. Only 33 states report employees of this category to the BLS. Three of them—Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—don’t report wages and were dropped from the analysis. The remaining states were analyzed based on the hourly mean wage as reported to the BLS. Employment numbers are estimates.

juliannedev // Shutterstock

#30. Louisiana

– Estimated total casino dealers: 2,100
– Hourly mean wage: $9.27

Yevgen Belich // Shutterstock

#29. Wisconsin

– Estimated total casino dealers: 600
– Hourly mean wage: $9.66

Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

#28. Ohio

– Estimated total casino dealers: 970
– Hourly mean wage: $9.74

Serg Shalimoff // Shutterstock

#27. Kansas

– Estimated total casino dealers: not available
– Hourly mean wage: $9.79

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

#26. New Hampshire

– Estimated total casino dealers: 200
– Hourly mean wage: $10.09

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

#25. Mississippi

– Estimated total casino dealers: 2,310
– Hourly mean wage: $10.12

Tupungato // Shutterstock

#24. Nevada

– Estimated total casino dealers: 14,110
– Hourly mean wage: $10.33

Matvii Mosiahin // Shutterstock

#23. South Carolina

– Estimated total casino dealers: 90
– Hourly mean wage: $10.63

sutulastock // Shutterstock

#22. Illinois

– Estimated total casino dealers: 960
– Hourly mean wage: $10.68

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

#21. Missouri

– Estimated total casino dealers: 820
– Hourly mean wage: $11.03

Turn_Mug // Shutterstock

#20. Montana

– Estimated total casino dealers: not available
– Hourly mean wage: $11.20

Yevgen Belich // Shutterstock

#19. Oklahoma

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,850
– Hourly mean wage: $11.20

Serg Shalimoff // Shutterstock

#18. Maryland

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,260
– Hourly mean wage: $11.24

Samsonova Karina // Shutterstock

#17. Indiana

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,390
– Hourly mean wage: $11.47

Maridav // Shutterstock

#16. Iowa

– Estimated total casino dealers: 900
– Hourly mean wage: $11.48

Svetlana Larina // Shutterstock

#15. New Mexico

– Estimated total casino dealers: 390
– Hourly mean wage: $11.51

Tupungato // Shutterstock

#14. Florida

– Estimated total casino dealers: 4,430
– Hourly mean wage: $12.06

Simfalex // Shutterstock

#13. Oregon

– Estimated total casino dealers: 370
– Hourly mean wage: $12.38

Kaponia Aliaksei // Shutterstock

#12. Texas

– Estimated total casino dealers: 330
– Hourly mean wage: $12.57

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

#11. Minnesota

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,160
– Hourly mean wage: $12.71

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

#10. Georgia

– Estimated total casino dealers: not available
– Hourly mean wage: $12.81

Serg Shalimoff // Shutterstock

#9. Michigan

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,830
– Hourly mean wage: $13.02

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

#8. Idaho

– Estimated total casino dealers: 100
– Hourly mean wage: $13.08

Serg Shalimoff // Shutterstock

#7. North Dakota

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,110
– Hourly mean wage: $13.18

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

#6. Arizona

– Estimated total casino dealers: 1,970
– Hourly mean wage: $13.97

Netfalls Remy Musser // Shutterstock

#5. California

– Estimated total casino dealers: 11,190
– Hourly mean wage: $14.51

Stanislavskyi // Shutterstock

#4. Colorado

– Estimated total casino dealers: 910
– Hourly mean wage: $14.70

Kaponia Aliaksei // Shutterstock

#3. South Dakota

– Estimated total casino dealers: 180
– Hourly mean wage: $14.91

Yevgen Belich // Shutterstock

#2. New York

– Estimated total casino dealers: 2,160
– Hourly mean wage: $17.12

MaxFX // Shutterstock

#1. Washington

– Estimated total casino dealers: 3,150
– Hourly mean wage: $20.48

This story originally appeared on PokerListings
and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.