L.A. pay: 64K

That's the average compensation for L.A. County in 2008 - $64,265 to be exact - but average is the operative word. Way higher and way lower salaries can skew the average quite a bit, especially in a place like L.A. where the rich and poor divide is so substantial. That's also why the average for New York (specifically Manhattan) was $117,509, making it the top spot in the country, according to the Commerce Department list. NY was followed by North Slope Borough, Alaska ($98,417); Arlington, Va. ($98,063); Santa Clara ($97,323); and Washington, D.C. ($95,881). Lowest compensation per job was in Petroleum County, Montana ($27,285). Here's a list of the 168 largest counties. Overall, average annual compensation per job in the U.S. grew by 2.6 percent, to $56,116. The government defines total compensation as salary and wages, as well as employer contributions.