GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Buyers and Purchasing Agents
Best States to Be a Buyers and Purchasing Agents
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a buyers and purchasing agents salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $124,090 BLS median worth $105,929 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 138.5).
Which US states are best for a buyers and purchasing agents after cost of living and tax?
For a buyers and purchasing agents, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $124,090 BLS median becomes $105,929 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 138.5). Montana ranks last ($63,691, index 83.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 states for a buyers and purchasing agents. Index 100 = the average state; 138.5 means pay goes 38.5% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedBuyers and Purchasing Agents — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,090 | $7,673 | 109.9 | $105,929 | 138.5 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $76,400 | $252 | 89.0 | $85,599 | 112.0 |
| 3 | Arkansas | $75,870 | $2,750 | 86.9 | $84,106 | 110.0 |
| 4 | Virginia | $89,210 | $4,330 | 101.1 | $83,953 | 109.8 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $73,990 | — | 88.6 | $83,523 | 109.2 |
| 6 | Maryland | $90,900 | $3,985 | 105.0 | $82,809 | 108.3 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $93,250 | $3,750 | 108.8 | $82,257 | 107.6 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $86,240 | $2,634 | 102.3 | $81,742 | 106.9 |
| 9 | Alaska | $83,460 | — | 102.4 | $81,537 | 106.6 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $75,670 | $2,712 | 89.5 | $81,520 | 106.6 |
| 11 | Ohio | $76,410 | $1,319 | 92.8 | $80,940 | 105.9 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $76,740 | $2,493 | 92.2 | $80,518 | 105.3 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $74,950 | $2,801 | 90.1 | $80,074 | 104.7 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $71,850 | $2,356 | 87.0 | $79,921 | 104.5 |
| 15 | Washington | $85,130 | — | 107.0 | $79,551 | 104.0 |
| 16 | Alabama | $74,030 | $3,437 | 88.8 | $79,477 | 104.0 |
| 17 | Delaware | $82,920 | $4,132 | 99.8 | $78,940 | 103.2 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $71,850 | $2,875 | 87.8 | $78,520 | 102.7 |
| 19 | Texas | $76,050 | — | 97.1 | $78,356 | 102.5 |
| 20 | Colorado | $83,590 | $3,018 | 103.1 | $78,186 | 102.3 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $72,200 | — | 92.7 | $77,893 | 101.9 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $75,880 | $2,683 | 94.3 | $77,600 | 101.5 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $80,370 | $3,976 | 98.6 | $77,462 | 101.3 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $85,970 | $4,079 | 105.8 | $77,434 | 101.3 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $75,550 | $3,077 | 93.7 | $77,306 | 101.1 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $83,030 | $2,992 | 103.6 | $77,250 | 101.0 |
| 27 | Iowa | $70,360 | $2,634 | 87.8 | $77,170 | 100.9 |
| 28 | Maine | $77,630 | $3,625 | 97.0 | $76,254 | 99.7 |
| 29 | Michigan | $75,900 | $2,979 | 96.2 | $75,788 | 99.1 |
| 30 | Illinois | $78,470 | $3,743 | 100.0 | $74,758 | 97.8 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $77,270 | — | 104.2 | $74,180 | 97.0 |
| 32 | Georgia | $74,530 | $3,370 | 96.3 | $73,899 | 96.7 |
| 33 | Kansas | $69,500 | $3,078 | 90.1 | $73,746 | 96.5 |
| 34 | Arizona | $75,340 | $1,409 | 100.7 | $73,434 | 96.0 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $66,340 | $1,615 | 88.2 | $73,378 | 96.0 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $73,550 | $2,258 | 97.6 | $73,066 | 95.6 |
| 37 | Nevada | $72,990 | — | 100.0 | $73,005 | 95.5 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $70,880 | $2,604 | 94.1 | $72,560 | 94.9 |
| 39 | Indiana | $69,350 | $2,051 | 93.3 | $72,110 | 94.3 |
| 40 | Utah | $74,540 | $3,392 | 98.9 | $71,966 | 94.1 |
| 41 | California | $82,720 | $3,571 | 110.7 | $71,486 | 93.5 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $65,430 | — | 91.9 | $71,220 | 93.2 |
| 43 | Florida | $72,850 | — | 103.4 | $70,445 | 92.1 |
| 44 | New York | $79,460 | $3,765 | 107.9 | $70,139 | 91.7 |
| 45 | Missouri | $65,650 | $2,205 | 90.8 | $69,861 | 91.4 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $65,240 | $2,479 | 90.2 | $69,612 | 91.0 |
| 47 | Idaho | $69,240 | $2,823 | 95.5 | $69,551 | 91.0 |
| 48 | Oregon | $75,050 | $5,763 | 103.4 | $67,034 | 87.7 |
| 49 | Vermont | $65,330 | $1,930 | 98.0 | $64,722 | 84.7 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $74,240 | $4,112 | 110.0 | $63,781 | 83.4 |
| 51 | Montana | $62,850 | $2,570 | 94.6 | $63,691 | 83.3 |
"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 District of Columbia, a $124,090 salary is worth about $100,773 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $13,340 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $110,750 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $140,079, a $39,306 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $140,079 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $137,169 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $136,460 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $136,430 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $136,021 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $136,004 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $135,071 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $134,553 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $133,875 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $132,720 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $132,129 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $131,970 | 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).
Buyers and Purchasing Agents — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a buyers and purchasing agents?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a buyers and purchasing agents: a BLS median of $124,090 is worth $105,929 after the 2025 state income tax ($7,673) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 138.5 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a buyers and purchasing agents at $124,090, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 138.5). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a buyers and purchasing agents salary go least far?
- Montana ranks last of 51 states for a buyers and purchasing agents: a $62,850 BLS median is worth only $63,691 after tax and cost of living (index 83.3). 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 buyers and purchasing agents is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.