GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
Best States to Be a Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians salary goes furthest in New York — a $97,280 BLS median worth $85,703 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 135.2).
Which US states are best for a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New York #1: a $97,280 BLS median becomes $85,703 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 135.2). Utah ranks last ($47,395, index 74.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New York ranks #1 of 51 states for a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 135.2 means pay goes 35.2% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedClinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $97,280 | $4,789 | 107.9 | $85,703 | 135.2 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $81,020 | — | 104.2 | $77,780 | 122.7 |
| 3 | Vermont | $78,680 | $2,811 | 98.0 | $77,450 | 122.2 |
| 4 | Oregon | $83,010 | $6,459 | 103.4 | $74,061 | 116.9 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $75,780 | $2,242 | 102.3 | $71,899 | 113.5 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $74,440 | $3,573 | 98.6 | $71,858 | 113.4 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $79,120 | $3,736 | 105.8 | $71,280 | 112.5 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $65,510 | — | 92.7 | $70,676 | 111.5 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $62,680 | — | 89.0 | $70,459 | 111.2 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $60,890 | — | 88.6 | $68,735 | 108.5 |
| 11 | Illinois | $71,950 | $3,420 | 100.0 | $68,558 | 108.2 |
| 12 | Washington | $72,760 | — | 107.0 | $67,992 | 107.3 |
| 13 | Ohio | $63,800 | $972 | 92.8 | $67,721 | 106.9 |
| 14 | Maine | $68,690 | $3,022 | 97.0 | $67,664 | 106.8 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $62,070 | — | 91.9 | $67,563 | 106.6 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $61,810 | $2,045 | 89.5 | $66,779 | 105.4 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $76,560 | $3,633 | 109.9 | $66,357 | 104.7 |
| 18 | Montana | $65,190 | $2,708 | 94.6 | $66,017 | 104.2 |
| 19 | California | $76,010 | $2,949 | 110.7 | $65,987 | 104.1 |
| 20 | Kansas | $62,050 | $2,663 | 90.1 | $65,936 | 104.1 |
| 21 | Colorado | $70,050 | $2,422 | 103.1 | $65,625 | 103.6 |
| 22 | Delaware | $68,630 | $3,189 | 99.8 | $65,567 | 103.5 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $60,880 | $2,304 | 90.2 | $64,969 | 102.5 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $60,540 | $2,052 | 90.1 | $64,912 | 102.4 |
| 25 | Missouri | $60,300 | $1,953 | 90.8 | $64,247 | 101.4 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $60,670 | $2,063 | 94.1 | $62,285 | 98.3 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $60,650 | $2,036 | 94.3 | $62,140 | 98.1 |
| 28 | Georgia | $62,180 | $2,705 | 96.3 | $61,765 | 97.5 |
| 29 | Michigan | $61,260 | $2,357 | 96.2 | $61,219 | 96.6 |
| 30 | Texas | $59,290 | — | 97.1 | $61,088 | 96.4 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $65,310 | $2,017 | 103.6 | $61,088 | 96.4 |
| 32 | Arizona | $62,530 | $1,088 | 100.7 | $61,029 | 96.3 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $68,450 | $2,234 | 108.8 | $60,857 | 96.0 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $54,460 | $1,259 | 88.2 | $60,314 | 95.2 |
| 35 | Alaska | $60,950 | — | 102.4 | $59,545 | 94.0 |
| 36 | Iowa | $54,260 | $2,022 | 87.8 | $59,522 | 93.9 |
| 37 | Indiana | $57,080 | $1,682 | 93.3 | $59,357 | 93.7 |
| 38 | Florida | $60,510 | — | 103.4 | $58,512 | 92.3 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $53,300 | $1,994 | 87.8 | $58,406 | 92.2 |
| 40 | Maryland | $63,690 | $2,693 | 105.0 | $58,116 | 91.7 |
| 41 | Virginia | $61,050 | $2,711 | 101.1 | $57,702 | 91.1 |
| 42 | Nevada | $57,320 | — | 100.0 | $57,332 | 90.5 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $55,280 | $1,820 | 93.7 | $57,025 | 90.0 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $66,020 | $3,487 | 110.0 | $56,873 | 89.7 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $50,640 | $1,423 | 87.0 | $56,602 | 89.3 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $49,670 | $1,729 | 86.9 | $55,145 | 87.0 |
| 47 | Alabama | $49,440 | $2,207 | 88.8 | $53,177 | 83.9 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $51,680 | $1,587 | 97.6 | $51,340 | 81.0 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $47,360 | $1,116 | 92.2 | $50,149 | 79.1 |
| 50 | Idaho | $47,450 | $1,582 | 95.5 | $48,032 | 75.8 |
| 51 | Utah | $49,090 | $2,234 | 98.9 | $47,395 | 74.8 |
"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 New York, a $97,280 salary is worth about $80,315 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $10,604 (≈ top marginal 10.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $86,676 · BEA cost of living 107.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $109,814, a $29,499 gain over New York.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $109,814 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $107,533 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $106,977 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $106,954 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $106,633 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $106,620 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $105,889 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $105,483 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $104,951 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $104,045 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $103,582 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $103,457 | 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).
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New York is the best state for a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians: a BLS median of $97,280 is worth $85,703 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,789) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 107.9), an index of 135.2 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New York has the highest headline BLS median for a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians at $97,280, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 135.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians salary go least far?
- Utah ranks last of 51 states for a clinical laboratory technologists and technicians: a $49,090 BLS median is worth only $47,395 after tax and cost of living (index 74.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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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 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.