GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Best States to Be a Automotive Body and Related Repairers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a automotive body and related repairers salary goes furthest in Rhode Island — a $72,490 BLS median worth $68,803 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 127.4).
Which US states are best for a automotive body and related repairers after cost of living and tax?
For a automotive body and related repairers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Rhode Island #1: a $72,490 BLS median becomes $68,803 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 127.4). New York ranks last ($42,302, index 78.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Rhode Island ranks #1 of 51 states for a automotive body and related repairers. Index 100 = the average state; 127.4 means pay goes 27.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedAutomotive Body and Related Repairers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $72,490 | $2,118 | 102.3 | $68,803 | 127.4 |
| 2 | Missouri | $60,540 | $1,964 | 90.8 | $64,498 | 119.4 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $55,160 | — | 89.0 | $62,006 | 114.8 |
| 4 | Nevada | $60,520 | — | 100.0 | $60,533 | 112.1 |
| 5 | Alaska | $61,680 | — | 102.4 | $60,259 | 111.6 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $60,970 | $2,657 | 98.6 | $59,128 | 109.5 |
| 7 | California | $66,860 | $2,217 | 110.7 | $58,384 | 108.1 |
| 8 | Montana | $57,500 | $2,254 | 94.6 | $58,371 | 108.1 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $56,660 | $1,851 | 94.1 | $58,249 | 107.8 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $54,130 | $1,719 | 90.1 | $58,168 | 107.7 |
| 11 | Michigan | $56,880 | $2,171 | 96.2 | $56,860 | 105.3 |
| 12 | Colorado | $59,880 | $1,975 | 103.1 | $56,190 | 104.0 |
| 13 | Alabama | $52,040 | $2,337 | 88.8 | $55,957 | 103.6 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $49,460 | — | 88.6 | $55,833 | 103.4 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $62,400 | $1,900 | 108.8 | $55,604 | 102.9 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $49,500 | $1,373 | 87.0 | $55,349 | 102.5 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $53,290 | $1,697 | 93.7 | $55,034 | 101.9 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $49,310 | $1,715 | 86.9 | $54,747 | 101.4 |
| 19 | Virginia | $57,760 | $2,521 | 101.1 | $54,635 | 101.1 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $58,220 | $1,695 | 103.6 | $54,556 | 101.0 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $62,640 | $2,697 | 109.9 | $54,543 | 101.0 |
| 22 | Washington | $58,340 | — | 107.0 | $54,517 | 100.9 |
| 23 | Iowa | $49,400 | $1,837 | 87.8 | $54,195 | 100.3 |
| 24 | Oregon | $60,000 | $4,446 | 103.4 | $53,748 | 99.5 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $48,810 | $1,781 | 87.8 | $53,538 | 99.1 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $59,300 | $2,745 | 105.8 | $53,476 | 99.0 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $53,660 | $1,647 | 97.6 | $53,307 | 98.7 |
| 28 | Texas | $51,700 | — | 97.1 | $53,268 | 98.6 |
| 29 | Arizona | $54,510 | $888 | 100.7 | $53,262 | 98.6 |
| 30 | Indiana | $51,160 | $1,505 | 93.3 | $53,204 | 98.5 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $49,200 | — | 92.7 | $53,080 | 98.3 |
| 32 | Ohio | $49,080 | $567 | 92.8 | $52,291 | 96.8 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,150 | $1,040 | 88.2 | $52,275 | 96.8 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $60,540 | $3,071 | 110.0 | $52,268 | 96.8 |
| 35 | Kansas | $48,920 | $1,930 | 90.1 | $52,172 | 96.6 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $50,520 | $1,605 | 94.3 | $51,857 | 96.0 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $47,460 | — | 91.9 | $51,660 | 95.6 |
| 38 | Maryland | $56,100 | $2,332 | 105.0 | $51,228 | 94.8 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $48,260 | $1,155 | 92.2 | $51,083 | 94.6 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $47,090 | $1,391 | 89.5 | $51,061 | 94.5 |
| 41 | Georgia | $51,190 | $2,112 | 96.3 | $50,967 | 94.4 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $52,790 | — | 104.2 | $50,679 | 93.8 |
| 43 | Vermont | $50,900 | $1,286 | 98.0 | $50,648 | 93.8 |
| 44 | Maine | $50,350 | $1,784 | 97.0 | $50,042 | 92.6 |
| 45 | Idaho | $49,200 | $1,682 | 95.5 | $49,761 | 92.1 |
| 46 | Illinois | $52,020 | $2,434 | 100.0 | $49,607 | 91.8 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $46,080 | $1,712 | 90.2 | $49,210 | 91.1 |
| 48 | Utah | $50,200 | $2,284 | 98.9 | $48,466 | 89.7 |
| 49 | Florida | $48,600 | — | 103.4 | $46,996 | 87.0 |
| 50 | Delaware | $48,780 | $2,030 | 99.8 | $46,840 | 86.7 |
| 51 | New York | $47,670 | $2,017 | 107.9 | $42,302 | 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 Rhode Island, a $72,490 salary is worth about $66,629 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $4,342 (≈ top marginal 5.99% (upper bound)) · take-home $68,148 · BEA cost of living 102.3 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $81,830, a $15,201 gain over Rhode Island.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $81,830 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $80,130 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $79,716 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $79,699 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $79,460 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $79,450 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $78,905 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $78,602 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $78,206 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $77,531 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $77,186 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $77,093 | 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).
Automotive Body and Related Repairers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a automotive body and related repairers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Rhode Island is the best state for a automotive body and related repairers: a BLS median of $72,490 is worth $68,803 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,118) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.3), an index of 127.4 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Rhode Island has the highest headline BLS median for a automotive body and related repairers at $72,490, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 127.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a automotive body and related repairers salary go least far?
- New York ranks last of 51 states for a automotive body and related repairers: a $47,670 BLS median is worth only $42,302 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 automotive body and related repairers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.