GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
Best States to Be a Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists salary goes furthest in Delaware — a $99,560 BLS median worth $94,512 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 129.3).
Which US states are best for a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists after cost of living and tax?
For a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Delaware #1: a $99,560 BLS median becomes $94,512 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 129.3). Utah ranks last ($50,291, index 68.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Delaware ranks #1 of 50 states for a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists. Index 100 = the average state; 129.3 means pay goes 29.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCompensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $99,560 | $5,230 | 99.8 | $94,512 | 129.3 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $83,540 | $2,816 | 92.2 | $87,541 | 119.8 |
| 3 | Colorado | $92,560 | $3,413 | 103.1 | $86,507 | 118.4 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $95,890 | $4,575 | 105.8 | $86,345 | 118.1 |
| 5 | Washington | $86,630 | — | 107.0 | $80,953 | 110.8 |
| 6 | Ohio | $75,780 | $1,302 | 92.8 | $80,279 | 109.8 |
| 7 | Michigan | $79,480 | $3,131 | 96.2 | $79,350 | 108.6 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $70,480 | $137 | 89.0 | $79,074 | 108.2 |
| 9 | Missouri | $74,260 | $2,609 | 90.8 | $78,896 | 107.9 |
| 10 | California | $91,410 | $4,379 | 110.7 | $78,604 | 107.5 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $80,810 | — | 104.2 | $77,579 | 106.1 |
| 12 | Alaska | $79,160 | — | 102.4 | $77,336 | 105.8 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $83,100 | $2,996 | 103.6 | $77,313 | 105.8 |
| 14 | Texas | $74,800 | — | 97.1 | $77,068 | 105.4 |
| 15 | Virginia | $81,190 | $3,869 | 101.1 | $76,477 | 104.6 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $69,990 | — | 91.9 | $76,184 | 104.2 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $80,330 | $2,412 | 102.3 | $76,181 | 104.2 |
| 18 | Montana | $75,290 | $3,304 | 94.6 | $76,059 | 104.1 |
| 19 | Maine | $77,400 | $3,610 | 97.0 | $76,033 | 104.0 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $78,770 | $3,867 | 98.6 | $75,950 | 103.9 |
| 21 | Illinois | $79,300 | $3,784 | 100.0 | $75,547 | 103.4 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $85,040 | $3,227 | 108.8 | $75,192 | 102.9 |
| 23 | Vermont | $76,030 | $2,636 | 98.0 | $74,924 | 102.5 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $86,710 | $4,495 | 109.9 | $74,808 | 102.3 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $69,090 | — | 92.7 | $74,538 | 102.0 |
| 26 | Oregon | $83,320 | $6,487 | 103.4 | $74,335 | 101.7 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $72,130 | $2,671 | 94.1 | $73,818 | 101.0 |
| 28 | Iowa | $67,160 | $2,512 | 87.8 | $73,663 | 100.8 |
| 29 | New York | $83,200 | $3,971 | 107.9 | $73,414 | 100.4 |
| 30 | Arizona | $74,930 | $1,398 | 100.7 | $73,037 | 99.9 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $64,630 | — | 88.6 | $72,957 | 99.8 |
| 32 | Maryland | $79,700 | $3,453 | 105.0 | $72,645 | 99.4 |
| 33 | Kansas | $67,990 | $2,994 | 90.1 | $72,163 | 98.7 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $67,410 | $2,409 | 90.1 | $72,141 | 98.7 |
| 35 | Indiana | $68,300 | $2,019 | 93.3 | $71,019 | 97.2 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $64,260 | $2,515 | 87.8 | $70,290 | 96.2 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $70,640 | $2,169 | 97.6 | $70,175 | 96.0 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $67,970 | $2,347 | 94.3 | $69,571 | 95.2 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $62,700 | $1,506 | 88.2 | $69,375 | 94.9 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $64,690 | $2,457 | 90.2 | $69,026 | 94.4 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $61,280 | $2,181 | 86.9 | $67,979 | 93.0 |
| 42 | Georgia | $66,690 | $2,948 | 96.3 | $66,196 | 90.6 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $63,450 | $2,327 | 93.7 | $65,199 | 89.2 |
| 44 | Idaho | $63,680 | $2,506 | 95.5 | $64,060 | 87.6 |
| 45 | Florida | $65,020 | — | 103.4 | $62,873 | 86.0 |
| 46 | Alabama | $57,710 | $2,621 | 88.8 | $62,022 | 84.9 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $51,670 | $1,468 | 87.0 | $57,734 | 79.0 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $64,090 | $3,341 | 110.0 | $55,251 | 75.6 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $48,080 | $1,435 | 89.5 | $52,119 | 71.3 |
| 50 | Utah | $52,090 | $2,370 | 98.9 | $50,291 | 68.8 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 50 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 Delaware, a $99,560 salary is worth about $93,168 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $6,571 (≈ top marginal 6.60% (upper bound)) · take-home $92,989 · BEA cost of living 99.8 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $112,388, a $19,220 gain over Delaware.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $112,388 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $110,053 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $109,485 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $109,461 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $109,132 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $109,119 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $108,371 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $107,955 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $107,411 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $106,484 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $106,010 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $105,882 | 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).
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Delaware is the best state for a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists: a BLS median of $99,560 is worth $94,512 after the 2025 state income tax ($5,230) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 99.8), an index of 129.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Delaware has the highest headline BLS median for a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists at $99,560, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 129.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists salary go least far?
- Utah ranks last of 50 states for a compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists: a $52,090 BLS median is worth only $50,291 after tax and cost of living (index 68.8). 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 compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.