GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Carpenters
Best States to Be a Carpenters
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a carpenters salary goes furthest in Illinois — a $79,000 BLS median worth $75,262 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 127.7).
Which US states are best for a carpenters after cost of living and tax?
For a carpenters, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Illinois #1: a $79,000 BLS median becomes $75,262 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 127.7). Florida ranks last ($48,224, index 81.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Illinois ranks #1 of 51 states for a carpenters. Index 100 = the average state; 127.7 means pay goes 27.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCarpenters — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $79,000 | $3,769 | 100.0 | $75,262 | 127.7 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $85,280 | $4,951 | 110.0 | $73,059 | 123.9 |
| 3 | Alaska | $73,860 | — | 102.4 | $72,158 | 122.4 |
| 4 | Washington | $74,190 | — | 107.0 | $69,328 | 117.6 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,200 | $3,540 | 105.8 | $67,759 | 114.9 |
| 6 | California | $75,920 | $2,942 | 110.7 | $65,913 | 111.8 |
| 7 | Indiana | $62,870 | $1,856 | 93.3 | $65,375 | 110.9 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $57,890 | — | 89.0 | $65,075 | 110.4 |
| 9 | Missouri | $60,840 | $1,979 | 90.8 | $64,813 | 109.9 |
| 10 | Ohio | $60,810 | $890 | 92.8 | $64,587 | 109.6 |
| 11 | New York | $72,330 | $3,373 | 107.9 | $63,896 | 108.4 |
| 12 | Iowa | $57,710 | $2,153 | 87.8 | $63,304 | 107.4 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $61,660 | $2,116 | 94.1 | $63,281 | 107.3 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $59,720 | $1,693 | 92.2 | $62,928 | 106.7 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $64,930 | $2,926 | 98.6 | $62,871 | 106.6 |
| 16 | Nevada | $62,380 | — | 100.0 | $62,393 | 105.8 |
| 17 | Vermont | $62,400 | $1,737 | 98.0 | $61,928 | 105.0 |
| 18 | Michigan | $61,680 | $2,375 | 96.2 | $61,637 | 104.5 |
| 19 | Maine | $62,160 | $2,581 | 97.0 | $61,390 | 104.1 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $56,850 | — | 92.7 | $61,333 | 104.0 |
| 21 | Kansas | $56,960 | $2,379 | 90.1 | $60,600 | 102.8 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $64,060 | $1,958 | 103.6 | $59,939 | 101.7 |
| 23 | Montana | $58,820 | $2,332 | 94.6 | $59,684 | 101.2 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $59,370 | $1,823 | 97.6 | $58,979 | 100.0 |
| 25 | Colorado | $62,830 | $2,105 | 103.1 | $58,927 | 100.0 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $61,200 | — | 104.2 | $58,753 | 99.7 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $60,840 | $1,682 | 102.3 | $57,840 | 98.1 |
| 28 | Maryland | $62,960 | $2,658 | 105.0 | $57,453 | 97.5 |
| 29 | Arizona | $58,580 | $990 | 100.7 | $57,203 | 97.0 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $64,010 | $1,989 | 108.8 | $57,002 | 96.7 |
| 31 | Delaware | $59,200 | $2,609 | 99.8 | $56,700 | 96.2 |
| 32 | Oregon | $62,870 | $4,697 | 103.4 | $56,281 | 95.5 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $52,680 | $1,976 | 90.2 | $56,238 | 95.4 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $50,830 | — | 91.9 | $55,328 | 93.8 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $49,920 | $1,123 | 88.2 | $55,321 | 93.8 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $48,650 | $1,335 | 87.0 | $54,414 | 92.3 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $48,140 | — | 88.6 | $54,343 | 92.2 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $50,320 | $1,520 | 90.1 | $54,160 | 91.9 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $61,710 | $2,636 | 109.9 | $53,752 | 91.2 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $47,760 | $1,654 | 86.9 | $53,034 | 90.0 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $48,710 | $1,463 | 89.5 | $52,791 | 89.5 |
| 42 | Virginia | $55,690 | $2,402 | 101.1 | $52,706 | 89.4 |
| 43 | Idaho | $52,000 | $1,841 | 95.5 | $52,526 | 89.1 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $50,670 | $1,534 | 93.7 | $52,412 | 88.9 |
| 45 | Alabama | $48,220 | $2,146 | 88.8 | $51,872 | 88.0 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $46,910 | $1,691 | 87.8 | $51,478 | 87.3 |
| 47 | Utah | $52,360 | $2,382 | 98.9 | $50,552 | 85.7 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $49,100 | $1,545 | 94.3 | $50,416 | 85.5 |
| 49 | Texas | $48,900 | — | 97.1 | $50,383 | 85.5 |
| 50 | Georgia | $49,350 | $2,013 | 96.3 | $49,159 | 83.4 |
| 51 | Florida | $49,870 | — | 103.4 | $48,224 | 81.8 |
"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 Illinois, a $79,000 salary is worth about $75,121 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $3,911 (flat 4.95%) · take-home $75,090 · BEA cost of living 100.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $89,179, a $14,058 gain over Illinois.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $89,179 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $87,326 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $86,875 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $86,856 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $86,596 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $86,585 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $85,991 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $85,661 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $85,229 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $84,494 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $84,118 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $84,016 | 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).
Carpenters — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a carpenters?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Illinois is the best state for a carpenters: a BLS median of $79,000 is worth $75,262 after the 2025 state income tax ($3,769) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 100.0), an index of 127.7 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Hawaii has the highest headline BLS median for a carpenters at $85,280, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 51 on real pay (index 123.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a carpenters salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 51 states for a carpenters: a $49,870 BLS median is worth only $48,224 after tax and cost of living (index 81.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- 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 carpenters is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.