GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Business Teachers, Postsecondary
Best States to Be a Business Teachers, Postsecondary
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a business teachers, postsecondary salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $168,930 BLS median worth $165,037 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 174.6).
Which US states are best for a business teachers, postsecondary after cost of living and tax?
For a business teachers, postsecondary, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $168,930 BLS median becomes $165,037 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 174.6). Hawaii ranks last ($65,983, index 69.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 51 states for a business teachers, postsecondary. Index 100 = the average state; 174.6 means pay goes 74.6% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedBusiness Teachers, Postsecondary — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $168,930 | — | 102.4 | $165,037 | 174.6 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $129,040 | $3,496 | 88.2 | $142,329 | 150.6 |
| 3 | Delaware | $130,370 | $7,263 | 99.8 | $123,343 | 130.5 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $110,050 | $908 | 89.0 | $122,688 | 129.8 |
| 5 | Maryland | $126,560 | $5,731 | 105.0 | $115,121 | 121.8 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $104,480 | $4,101 | 89.5 | $112,159 | 118.7 |
| 7 | Utah | $115,870 | $5,272 | 98.9 | $111,869 | 118.4 |
| 8 | Michigan | $111,190 | $4,479 | 96.2 | $110,907 | 117.3 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $128,370 | $8,036 | 109.9 | $109,493 | 115.8 |
| 10 | California | $128,470 | $7,826 | 110.7 | $108,963 | 115.3 |
| 11 | Missouri | $100,310 | $3,834 | 90.8 | $106,232 | 112.4 |
| 12 | Texas | $101,210 | — | 97.1 | $104,279 | 110.3 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $101,760 | $3,124 | 97.6 | $101,090 | 107.0 |
| 14 | Nevada | $98,920 | — | 100.0 | $98,941 | 104.7 |
| 15 | Vermont | $101,170 | $4,295 | 98.0 | $98,894 | 104.6 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $96,680 | $3,972 | 94.1 | $98,526 | 104.2 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $103,820 | $3,372 | 102.3 | $98,208 | 103.9 |
| 18 | Virginia | $103,860 | $5,172 | 101.1 | $97,610 | 103.3 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $103,750 | $4,131 | 103.6 | $96,148 | 101.7 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $88,690 | $3,516 | 90.1 | $94,530 | 100.0 |
| 21 | Washington | $100,390 | — | 107.0 | $93,811 | 99.3 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $85,950 | — | 91.9 | $93,556 | 99.0 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $103,110 | $4,936 | 105.8 | $92,830 | 98.2 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $95,820 | $5,027 | 98.6 | $92,063 | 97.4 |
| 25 | New York | $104,490 | $5,221 | 107.9 | $91,983 | 97.3 |
| 26 | Iowa | $83,200 | $3,122 | 87.8 | $91,245 | 96.5 |
| 27 | Illinois | $94,770 | $4,550 | 100.0 | $90,258 | 95.5 |
| 28 | Indiana | $86,640 | $2,569 | 93.3 | $90,080 | 95.3 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $82,060 | $3,360 | 87.8 | $89,591 | 94.8 |
| 30 | Oregon | $100,180 | $7,962 | 103.4 | $89,220 | 94.4 |
| 31 | Kansas | $83,310 | $3,849 | 90.1 | $88,223 | 93.3 |
| 32 | Alabama | $82,170 | $3,844 | 88.8 | $88,183 | 93.3 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $83,980 | $2,838 | 92.2 | $87,995 | 93.1 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $80,140 | $3,075 | 90.2 | $85,477 | 90.4 |
| 35 | Ohio | $79,770 | $1,411 | 92.8 | $84,462 | 89.4 |
| 36 | Idaho | $84,190 | $3,674 | 95.5 | $84,315 | 89.2 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $75,680 | $2,525 | 87.0 | $84,132 | 89.0 |
| 38 | Montana | $81,490 | $3,670 | 94.6 | $82,223 | 87.0 |
| 39 | Georgia | $82,820 | $3,817 | 96.3 | $82,044 | 86.8 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $72,650 | — | 88.6 | $82,011 | 86.8 |
| 41 | Maine | $83,250 | $4,005 | 97.0 | $81,654 | 86.4 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $79,600 | $2,841 | 94.3 | $81,376 | 86.1 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $78,830 | $3,280 | 93.7 | $80,587 | 85.3 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $83,070 | — | 104.2 | $79,748 | 84.4 |
| 45 | Arizona | $81,600 | $1,565 | 100.7 | $79,497 | 84.1 |
| 46 | Florida | $78,870 | — | 103.4 | $76,266 | 80.7 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $85,250 | $3,240 | 108.8 | $75,373 | 79.7 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $69,550 | — | 92.7 | $75,034 | 79.4 |
| 49 | Colorado | $78,210 | $2,781 | 103.1 | $73,195 | 77.4 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,620 | $2,312 | 86.9 | $71,671 | 75.8 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $76,860 | $4,311 | 110.0 | $65,983 | 69.8 |
"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 Alaska, a $168,930 salary is worth about $165,037 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $168,930 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $190,696, a $25,659 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $190,696 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $186,735 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $185,770 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $185,729 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $185,172 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $185,149 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $183,879 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $183,174 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $182,251 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $180,678 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $179,874 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $179,657 | 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).
Business Teachers, Postsecondary — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a business teachers, postsecondary?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a business teachers, postsecondary: a BLS median of $168,930 is worth $165,037 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 174.6 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Alaska has the highest headline BLS median for a business teachers, postsecondary at $168,930, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 174.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a business teachers, postsecondary salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 51 states for a business teachers, postsecondary: a $76,860 BLS median is worth only $65,983 after tax and cost of living (index 69.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
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- 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 business teachers, postsecondary is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.