GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Cost Estimators
Best States to Be a Cost Estimators
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a cost estimators salary goes furthest in Wyoming — a $90,790 BLS median worth $97,949 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 125.1).
Which US states are best for a cost estimators after cost of living and tax?
For a cost estimators, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Wyoming #1: a $90,790 BLS median becomes $97,949 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 125.1). Arkansas ranks last ($68,189, index 87.1). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Wyoming ranks #1 of 51 states for a cost estimators. Index 100 = the average state; 125.1 means pay goes 25.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCost Estimators — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $90,790 | — | 92.7 | $97,949 | 125.1 |
| 2 | Alaska | $97,020 | — | 102.4 | $94,784 | 121.1 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $100,840 | $4,822 | 105.8 | $90,791 | 116.0 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $77,030 | $1,936 | 88.2 | $85,134 | 108.7 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $74,950 | — | 88.6 | $84,607 | 108.1 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $77,480 | $2,800 | 89.5 | $83,445 | 106.6 |
| 7 | Iowa | $76,040 | $2,850 | 87.8 | $83,397 | 106.5 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $75,650 | — | 91.9 | $82,345 | 105.2 |
| 9 | Ohio | $77,730 | $1,355 | 92.8 | $82,323 | 105.2 |
| 10 | Nevada | $82,200 | — | 100.0 | $82,217 | 105.0 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $73,280 | $191 | 89.0 | $82,160 | 104.9 |
| 12 | Colorado | $86,940 | $3,165 | 103.1 | $81,294 | 103.8 |
| 13 | Kansas | $76,250 | $3,455 | 90.1 | $80,822 | 103.2 |
| 14 | Missouri | $76,020 | $2,692 | 90.8 | $80,743 | 103.1 |
| 15 | Alabama | $74,990 | $3,485 | 88.8 | $80,503 | 102.8 |
| 16 | Washington | $86,070 | — | 107.0 | $80,429 | 102.7 |
| 17 | Vermont | $81,390 | $2,990 | 98.0 | $80,034 | 102.2 |
| 18 | Idaho | $79,700 | $3,419 | 95.5 | $79,881 | 102.0 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $74,880 | $2,864 | 90.2 | $79,876 | 102.0 |
| 20 | Texas | $76,980 | — | 97.1 | $79,314 | 101.3 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $71,230 | $2,329 | 87.0 | $79,239 | 101.2 |
| 22 | Illinois | $82,750 | $3,955 | 100.0 | $78,828 | 100.7 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $73,100 | $2,705 | 90.1 | $78,127 | 99.8 |
| 24 | Montana | $77,320 | $3,424 | 94.6 | $78,077 | 99.7 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $76,270 | $2,890 | 94.1 | $77,985 | 99.6 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $78,480 | $2,409 | 97.6 | $77,964 | 99.6 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $80,810 | $4,006 | 98.6 | $77,878 | 99.5 |
| 28 | Michigan | $77,990 | $3,068 | 96.2 | $77,868 | 99.5 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $81,990 | $2,475 | 102.3 | $77,743 | 99.3 |
| 30 | Utah | $79,610 | $3,622 | 98.9 | $76,861 | 98.2 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $74,730 | $2,634 | 94.3 | $76,433 | 97.6 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $79,560 | — | 104.2 | $76,379 | 97.6 |
| 33 | Indiana | $73,430 | $2,173 | 93.3 | $76,350 | 97.5 |
| 34 | Georgia | $76,800 | $3,493 | 96.3 | $76,129 | 97.2 |
| 35 | Virginia | $80,530 | $3,831 | 101.1 | $75,862 | 96.9 |
| 36 | Delaware | $79,290 | $3,892 | 99.8 | $75,543 | 96.5 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $81,030 | $2,882 | 103.6 | $75,425 | 96.3 |
| 38 | Arizona | $77,010 | $1,450 | 100.7 | $75,052 | 95.9 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $67,800 | $2,683 | 87.8 | $74,129 | 94.7 |
| 40 | Maryland | $81,190 | $3,524 | 105.0 | $73,997 | 94.5 |
| 41 | California | $85,460 | $3,826 | 110.7 | $73,730 | 94.2 |
| 42 | Maine | $74,080 | $3,386 | 97.0 | $72,843 | 93.0 |
| 43 | Florida | $74,990 | — | 103.4 | $72,514 | 92.6 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $70,260 | $2,749 | 93.7 | $72,013 | 92.0 |
| 45 | Oregon | $80,460 | $6,236 | 103.4 | $71,810 | 91.7 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $82,730 | $4,157 | 109.9 | $71,494 | 91.3 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $80,570 | $2,942 | 108.8 | $71,346 | 91.1 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $67,590 | $2,063 | 92.2 | $71,062 | 90.8 |
| 49 | New York | $80,430 | $3,819 | 107.9 | $70,988 | 90.7 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $80,360 | $4,577 | 110.0 | $68,924 | 88.0 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $61,470 | $2,189 | 86.9 | $68,189 | 87.1 |
"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 Wyoming, a $90,790 salary is worth about $97,949 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $90,790 · BEA cost of living 92.7 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $102,488, a $4,539 gain over Wyoming.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $102,488 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $100,359 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $99,840 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $99,819 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $99,519 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $99,507 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $98,824 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $98,445 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $97,949 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $97,104 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $96,672 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $96,555 | 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).
Cost Estimators — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a cost estimators?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Wyoming is the best state for a cost estimators: a BLS median of $90,790 is worth $97,949 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.7), an index of 125.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Massachusetts has the highest headline BLS median for a cost estimators at $100,840, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #3 of 51 on real pay (index 116.0). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a cost estimators salary go least far?
- Arkansas ranks last of 51 states for a cost estimators: a $61,470 BLS median is worth only $68,189 after tax and cost of living (index 87.1). 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
BLS OEWS updates roughly once a year. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed real-pay rankings when new wage data lands.
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 cost estimators is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.