While the job market is looking pretty tough for new college graduates across America right now, the chances of earning a high salary are a lot better in some states than others.

To highlight where in the country college grads are making the most money, Legacy Online School analyzed US Census Bureau and National Association of Colleges and Employers data, and ranked each US state by median graduate salary.

The highest-paid graduates were found in New Jersey, where the median salary stood at $80,114 a year. More than 42 percent of the Garden State's residents had a bachelor's degree or higher — and of these, 77.5 percent were employed.

Massachusetts ranked second for high graduate salaries, with a median of $79,985 a year, followed by Washington ($78,485).

There are nine other states where graduates earned at least $70,000: California ($78,278), Maryland ($76,748), Connecticut ($75,975), New York ($74,504), Virginia ($74,468), Colorado ($73,072), New Hampshire ($71,325), Minnesota ($71,254) and Illinois ($71,127).

When it comes to the states with the lowest-paid new grads, Mississippi topped the list, with a median salary of less than $53,000. Just 24.4 percent of people living in Mississippi were graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Via Legacy Online School.