GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Architectural and Engineering Managers
Best States to Be a Architectural and Engineering Managers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a architectural and engineering managers salary goes furthest in New Mexico — a $215,120 BLS median worth $223,242 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 135.8).
Which US states are best for a architectural and engineering managers after cost of living and tax?
For a architectural and engineering managers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New Mexico #1: a $215,120 BLS median becomes $223,242 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 135.8). Hawaii ranks last ($128,794, index 78.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New Mexico ranks #1 of 51 states for a architectural and engineering managers. Index 100 = the average state; 135.8 means pay goes 35.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedArchitectural and Engineering Managers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $215,120 | $9,264 | 92.2 | $223,242 | 135.8 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $164,330 | — | 88.6 | $185,503 | 112.8 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $201,430 | $9,852 | 105.8 | $181,150 | 110.2 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $162,850 | $4,511 | 88.2 | $179,509 | 109.2 |
| 5 | Washington | $189,680 | — | 107.0 | $177,249 | 107.8 |
| 6 | Texas | $171,370 | — | 97.1 | $176,566 | 107.4 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $163,560 | — | 92.7 | $176,457 | 107.3 |
| 8 | California | $210,280 | $15,434 | 110.7 | $175,981 | 107.0 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $161,430 | — | 91.9 | $175,716 | 106.9 |
| 10 | Ohio | $166,870 | $4,290 | 92.8 | $175,243 | 106.6 |
| 11 | Alabama | $162,350 | $7,853 | 88.8 | $173,939 | 105.8 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $157,330 | $6,936 | 87.8 | $171,208 | 104.1 |
| 13 | Colorado | $183,810 | $7,428 | 103.1 | $171,159 | 104.1 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $167,840 | $6,591 | 94.3 | $170,948 | 104.0 |
| 15 | Delaware | $181,190 | $10,618 | 99.8 | $170,901 | 103.9 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $169,040 | $8,873 | 93.7 | $170,846 | 103.9 |
| 17 | Kansas | $160,150 | $8,137 | 90.1 | $168,776 | 102.6 |
| 18 | Missouri | $157,800 | $6,536 | 90.8 | $166,560 | 101.3 |
| 19 | Michigan | $166,930 | $6,848 | 96.2 | $166,376 | 101.2 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $172,240 | — | 104.2 | $165,353 | 100.5 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $175,910 | $6,797 | 102.3 | $165,343 | 100.5 |
| 22 | Florida | $170,740 | — | 103.4 | $165,103 | 100.4 |
| 23 | Virginia | $176,160 | $9,329 | 101.1 | $165,009 | 100.3 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $147,400 | $1,637 | 89.0 | $163,855 | 99.6 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $172,130 | $10,743 | 98.6 | $163,644 | 99.5 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $164,690 | $5,056 | 97.6 | $163,606 | 99.5 |
| 27 | Arizona | $167,480 | $3,712 | 100.7 | $162,667 | 98.9 |
| 28 | Idaho | $162,970 | $8,161 | 95.5 | $162,114 | 98.6 |
| 29 | Indiana | $155,810 | $4,644 | 93.3 | $161,971 | 98.5 |
| 30 | Nevada | $161,560 | — | 100.0 | $161,594 | 98.3 |
| 31 | Iowa | $147,320 | $5,558 | 87.8 | $161,530 | 98.2 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $175,490 | $8,379 | 103.6 | $161,288 | 98.1 |
| 33 | Alaska | $164,260 | — | 102.4 | $160,474 | 97.6 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $149,430 | $6,268 | 89.5 | $159,963 | 97.3 |
| 35 | Georgia | $161,470 | $8,056 | 96.3 | $159,320 | 96.9 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $142,790 | $5,478 | 87.0 | $157,916 | 96.0 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $180,640 | $9,317 | 108.8 | $157,459 | 95.7 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $147,680 | $5,776 | 90.2 | $157,393 | 95.7 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $185,220 | $12,869 | 109.9 | $156,824 | 95.4 |
| 40 | Maryland | $172,670 | $8,182 | 105.0 | $156,716 | 95.3 |
| 41 | Oregon | $177,190 | $15,268 | 103.4 | $156,657 | 95.3 |
| 42 | Illinois | $163,610 | $7,958 | 100.0 | $155,718 | 94.7 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $140,600 | $5,275 | 86.9 | $155,659 | 94.7 |
| 44 | Utah | $161,120 | $7,331 | 98.9 | $155,556 | 94.6 |
| 45 | New York | $175,710 | $9,494 | 107.9 | $154,016 | 93.7 |
| 46 | Vermont | $157,710 | $8,319 | 98.0 | $152,505 | 92.7 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $141,020 | $6,237 | 90.1 | $149,588 | 91.0 |
| 48 | Montana | $146,030 | $7,478 | 94.6 | $146,392 | 89.0 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $142,060 | $6,377 | 94.1 | $144,198 | 87.7 |
| 50 | Maine | $145,720 | $8,470 | 97.0 | $141,422 | 86.0 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $151,670 | $10,060 | 110.0 | $128,794 | 78.3 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In New Mexico, a $215,120 salary is worth about $219,524 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $12,692 (≈ top marginal 5.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $202,428 · BEA cost of living 92.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $242,837, a $23,313 gain over New Mexico.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $242,837 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $237,793 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $236,564 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $236,513 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $235,803 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $235,774 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $234,157 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $233,259 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $232,083 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $230,080 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $229,057 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $228,780 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Architectural and Engineering Managers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a architectural and engineering managers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New Mexico is the best state for a architectural and engineering managers: a BLS median of $215,120 is worth $223,242 after the 2025 state income tax ($9,264) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.2), an index of 135.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New Mexico has the highest headline BLS median for a architectural and engineering managers at $215,120, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 135.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a architectural and engineering managers salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 51 states for a architectural and engineering managers: a $151,670 BLS median is worth only $128,794 after tax and cost of living (index 78.3). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a architectural and engineering managers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.