GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Biological Technicians
Best States to Be a Biological Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a biological technicians salary goes furthest in Mississippi — a $56,930 BLS median worth $63,517 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 119.1).
Which US states are best for a biological technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a biological technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Mississippi #1: a $56,930 BLS median becomes $63,517 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 119.1). Hawaii ranks last ($42,359, index 79.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Mississippi ranks #1 of 51 states for a biological technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 119.1 means pay goes 19.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedBiological Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $56,930 | $1,700 | 87.0 | $63,517 | 119.1 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $61,720 | $2,081 | 94.3 | $63,226 | 118.6 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $55,330 | — | 89.0 | $62,197 | 116.7 |
| 4 | California | $71,440 | $2,583 | 110.7 | $62,190 | 116.7 |
| 5 | Indiana | $58,790 | $1,734 | 93.3 | $61,135 | 114.7 |
| 6 | Maine | $60,160 | $2,446 | 97.0 | $59,468 | 111.5 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $66,040 | $2,101 | 108.8 | $58,765 | 110.2 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $62,360 | $1,881 | 103.6 | $58,372 | 109.5 |
| 9 | Washington | $60,800 | — | 107.0 | $56,816 | 106.6 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $64,770 | $2,835 | 109.9 | $56,355 | 105.7 |
| 11 | Delaware | $58,550 | $2,573 | 99.8 | $56,085 | 105.2 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $62,070 | $2,884 | 105.8 | $55,965 | 105.0 |
| 13 | Colorado | $59,400 | $1,954 | 103.1 | $55,745 | 104.6 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $51,440 | $1,585 | 89.5 | $55,706 | 104.5 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $50,840 | — | 91.9 | $55,339 | 103.8 |
| 16 | Alaska | $56,470 | — | 102.4 | $55,169 | 103.5 |
| 17 | Kansas | $51,630 | $2,081 | 90.1 | $55,013 | 103.2 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $53,040 | $1,681 | 93.7 | $54,783 | 102.8 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $54,950 | $1,687 | 97.6 | $54,588 | 102.4 |
| 20 | Ohio | $51,080 | $622 | 92.8 | $54,388 | 102.0 |
| 21 | New York | $61,210 | $2,762 | 107.9 | $54,159 | 101.6 |
| 22 | Missouri | $50,640 | $1,499 | 90.8 | $54,110 | 101.5 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $55,540 | — | 104.2 | $53,319 | 100.0 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $51,750 | $1,591 | 94.1 | $53,307 | 100.0 |
| 25 | Illinois | $55,790 | $2,621 | 100.0 | $53,192 | 99.8 |
| 26 | Alabama | $49,220 | $2,196 | 88.8 | $52,941 | 99.3 |
| 27 | Iowa | $48,050 | $1,786 | 87.8 | $52,715 | 98.9 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $47,850 | $1,735 | 87.8 | $52,497 | 98.5 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $47,310 | $1,044 | 88.2 | $52,451 | 98.4 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $49,570 | $1,216 | 92.2 | $52,438 | 98.4 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $48,910 | $1,826 | 90.2 | $52,224 | 98.0 |
| 32 | Georgia | $52,420 | $2,179 | 96.3 | $52,176 | 97.9 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $46,930 | $1,622 | 86.9 | $52,116 | 97.8 |
| 34 | Arizona | $53,290 | $857 | 100.7 | $52,080 | 97.7 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $48,220 | $1,411 | 90.1 | $51,950 | 97.4 |
| 36 | Nevada | $51,680 | — | 100.0 | $51,691 | 97.0 |
| 37 | Texas | $50,130 | — | 97.1 | $51,650 | 96.9 |
| 38 | Utah | $52,960 | $2,410 | 98.9 | $51,131 | 95.9 |
| 39 | Michigan | $51,070 | $1,924 | 96.2 | $51,078 | 95.8 |
| 40 | Vermont | $51,190 | $1,296 | 98.0 | $50,934 | 95.5 |
| 41 | Montana | $49,920 | $1,807 | 94.6 | $50,835 | 95.4 |
| 42 | Virginia | $53,360 | $2,268 | 101.1 | $50,534 | 94.8 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $46,480 | — | 92.7 | $50,145 | 94.1 |
| 44 | Maryland | $52,900 | $2,180 | 105.0 | $48,324 | 90.6 |
| 45 | Florida | $48,700 | — | 103.4 | $47,092 | 88.3 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $48,130 | $1,784 | 98.6 | $46,994 | 88.1 |
| 47 | Oregon | $52,190 | $3,763 | 103.4 | $46,853 | 87.9 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $41,300 | — | 88.6 | $46,621 | 87.4 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $45,530 | $1,107 | 102.3 | $43,432 | 81.5 |
| 50 | Idaho | $42,130 | $1,279 | 95.5 | $42,779 | 80.2 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $48,770 | $2,195 | 110.0 | $42,359 | 79.5 |
"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 Mississippi, a $56,930 salary is worth about $62,591 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,505 (flat 4.40%) · take-home $54,425 · BEA cost of living 87.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $64,265, a $1,674 gain over Mississippi.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $64,265 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $62,930 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $62,605 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $62,591 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $62,404 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $62,396 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $61,968 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $61,730 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $61,419 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $60,889 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $60,618 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $60,545 | 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).
Biological Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a biological technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Mississippi is the best state for a biological technicians: a BLS median of $56,930 is worth $63,517 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,700) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 87.0), an index of 119.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a biological technicians at $71,440, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 51 on real pay (index 116.7). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a biological technicians salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 51 states for a biological technicians: a $48,770 BLS median is worth only $42,359 after tax and cost of living (index 79.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
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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 biological technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.