GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Chemical Technicians
Best States to Be a Chemical Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a chemical technicians salary goes furthest in Louisiana — a $85,850 BLS median worth $94,833 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 158.0).
Which US states are best for a chemical technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a chemical technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Louisiana #1: a $85,850 BLS median becomes $94,833 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 158.0). Maryland ranks last ($45,038, index 75.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Louisiana ranks #1 of 51 states for a chemical technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 158.0 means pay goes 58.0% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedChemical Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $85,850 | $2,201 | 88.2 | $94,833 | 158.0 |
| 2 | Alaska | $79,380 | — | 102.4 | $77,551 | 129.2 |
| 3 | South Carolina | $75,020 | $3,044 | 93.7 | $76,775 | 127.9 |
| 4 | Delaware | $78,620 | $3,848 | 99.8 | $74,916 | 124.8 |
| 5 | Missouri | $68,550 | $2,341 | 90.8 | $72,904 | 121.5 |
| 6 | Nebraska | $62,640 | $2,161 | 90.1 | $67,122 | 111.8 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $60,020 | $2,313 | 87.8 | $65,693 | 109.5 |
| 8 | Kansas | $61,560 | $2,635 | 90.1 | $65,422 | 109.0 |
| 9 | Vermont | $65,560 | $1,945 | 98.0 | $64,941 | 108.2 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $57,760 | — | 89.0 | $64,929 | 108.2 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $60,830 | $2,302 | 90.2 | $64,916 | 108.2 |
| 12 | Texas | $62,580 | — | 97.1 | $64,478 | 107.4 |
| 13 | Arizona | $65,860 | $1,172 | 100.7 | $64,254 | 107.1 |
| 14 | Iowa | $58,090 | $2,167 | 87.8 | $63,721 | 106.2 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $58,750 | $1,909 | 89.5 | $63,511 | 105.8 |
| 16 | Ohio | $59,750 | $861 | 92.8 | $63,476 | 105.8 |
| 17 | Alabama | $58,150 | $2,643 | 88.8 | $62,492 | 104.1 |
| 18 | Indiana | $59,290 | $1,749 | 93.3 | $61,654 | 102.7 |
| 19 | Nevada | $61,520 | — | 100.0 | $61,533 | 102.5 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $59,440 | $1,998 | 94.1 | $61,047 | 101.7 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $54,580 | $1,596 | 87.0 | $60,934 | 101.5 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $67,570 | $3,159 | 105.8 | $60,905 | 101.5 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $56,320 | — | 92.7 | $60,761 | 101.2 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $59,030 | $1,967 | 94.3 | $60,496 | 100.8 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $62,400 | $2,754 | 98.6 | $60,480 | 100.8 |
| 26 | Colorado | $63,770 | $2,146 | 103.1 | $59,799 | 99.6 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $54,840 | — | 91.9 | $59,693 | 99.5 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $59,420 | $1,824 | 97.6 | $59,029 | 98.4 |
| 29 | Illinois | $61,890 | $2,922 | 100.0 | $58,992 | 98.3 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $61,680 | $1,713 | 102.3 | $58,630 | 97.7 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $55,120 | $1,477 | 92.2 | $58,174 | 96.9 |
| 32 | Michigan | $58,180 | $2,226 | 96.2 | $58,154 | 96.9 |
| 33 | Washington | $62,100 | — | 107.0 | $58,030 | 96.7 |
| 34 | Georgia | $58,120 | $2,486 | 96.3 | $57,776 | 96.3 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $49,030 | — | 88.6 | $55,347 | 92.2 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $63,910 | $3,327 | 110.0 | $55,100 | 91.8 |
| 37 | Idaho | $54,560 | $1,987 | 95.5 | $55,054 | 91.7 |
| 38 | New York | $60,900 | $2,745 | 107.9 | $53,887 | 89.8 |
| 39 | Montana | $52,890 | $1,982 | 94.6 | $53,788 | 89.6 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $57,310 | $1,654 | 103.6 | $53,717 | 89.5 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $58,580 | $1,689 | 108.8 | $52,287 | 87.1 |
| 42 | Florida | $54,050 | — | 103.4 | $52,266 | 87.1 |
| 43 | California | $59,510 | $1,667 | 110.7 | $52,243 | 87.1 |
| 44 | Oregon | $57,960 | $4,268 | 103.4 | $51,947 | 86.6 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $45,230 | $1,555 | 86.9 | $50,237 | 83.7 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $56,530 | $2,299 | 109.9 | $49,345 | 82.2 |
| 47 | Virginia | $51,850 | $2,182 | 101.1 | $49,126 | 81.9 |
| 48 | Maine | $49,280 | $1,712 | 97.0 | $49,014 | 81.7 |
| 49 | Utah | $49,030 | $2,231 | 98.9 | $47,337 | 78.9 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $48,940 | — | 104.2 | $46,983 | 78.3 |
| 51 | Maryland | $49,280 | $2,008 | 105.0 | $45,038 | 75.0 |
"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 Louisiana, a $85,850 salary is worth about $94,408 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,576 (flat 3.00%) · take-home $83,275 · BEA cost of living 88.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $96,911, a $2,503 gain over Louisiana.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $96,911 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $94,898 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $94,408 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $94,387 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $94,104 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $94,093 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $93,447 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $93,089 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $92,620 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $91,820 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $91,412 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $91,301 | 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).
Chemical Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a chemical technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Louisiana is the best state for a chemical technicians: a BLS median of $85,850 is worth $94,833 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,201) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 88.2), an index of 158.0 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Louisiana has the highest headline BLS median for a chemical technicians at $85,850, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 158.0). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a chemical technicians salary go least far?
- Maryland ranks last of 51 states for a chemical technicians: a $49,280 BLS median is worth only $45,038 after tax and cost of living (index 75.0). 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
Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS
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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 chemical technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.