GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Counter and Rental Clerks
Best States to Be a Counter and Rental Clerks
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a counter and rental clerks salary goes furthest in North Dakota — a $44,620 BLS median worth $50,158 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 121.7).
Which US states are best for a counter and rental clerks after cost of living and tax?
For a counter and rental clerks, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks North Dakota #1: a $44,620 BLS median becomes $50,158 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 121.7). Maryland ranks last ($36,154, index 87.7). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
North Dakota ranks #1 of 51 states for a counter and rental clerks. Index 100 = the average state; 121.7 means pay goes 21.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCounter and Rental Clerks — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $44,620 | — | 89.0 | $50,158 | 121.7 |
| 2 | Vermont | $48,430 | $1,204 | 98.0 | $48,211 | 116.9 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $43,860 | — | 92.7 | $47,319 | 114.8 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $45,720 | $1,271 | 94.1 | $47,239 | 114.6 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $53,760 | $2,126 | 109.9 | $46,983 | 114.0 |
| 6 | Maine | $46,870 | $1,550 | 97.0 | $46,698 | 113.3 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $47,250 | — | 104.2 | $45,361 | 110.0 |
| 8 | Montana | $43,900 | $1,452 | 94.6 | $44,850 | 108.8 |
| 9 | Washington | $47,820 | — | 107.0 | $44,686 | 108.4 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $46,360 | $1,139 | 102.3 | $44,213 | 107.2 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $48,900 | $1,154 | 108.8 | $43,882 | 106.4 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $44,850 | $1,600 | 98.6 | $43,855 | 106.4 |
| 13 | Colorado | $46,240 | $1,375 | 103.1 | $43,537 | 105.6 |
| 14 | Virginia | $45,540 | $1,819 | 101.1 | $43,244 | 104.9 |
| 15 | Arizona | $43,920 | $623 | 100.7 | $43,006 | 104.3 |
| 16 | Iowa | $38,960 | $1,440 | 87.8 | $42,751 | 103.7 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $42,910 | $1,317 | 97.6 | $42,628 | 103.4 |
| 18 | Alaska | $43,450 | — | 102.4 | $42,449 | 103.0 |
| 19 | Kansas | $39,090 | $1,382 | 90.1 | $41,867 | 101.6 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $38,990 | $1,429 | 90.2 | $41,661 | 101.1 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $37,960 | — | 91.9 | $41,319 | 100.2 |
| 22 | Ohio | $38,590 | $279 | 92.8 | $41,295 | 100.2 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $36,400 | — | 88.6 | $41,090 | 99.7 |
| 24 | New York | $46,270 | $1,940 | 107.9 | $41,076 | 99.6 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $37,160 | $1,227 | 87.8 | $40,905 | 99.2 |
| 26 | Missouri | $37,920 | $901 | 90.8 | $40,762 | 98.9 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $36,160 | $786 | 87.0 | $40,682 | 98.7 |
| 28 | Idaho | $39,370 | $1,122 | 95.5 | $40,053 | 97.2 |
| 29 | California | $45,010 | $812 | 110.7 | $39,918 | 96.8 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $44,070 | $1,984 | 105.8 | $39,795 | 96.5 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $36,450 | $820 | 90.1 | $39,543 | 95.9 |
| 32 | Oregon | $43,820 | $3,030 | 103.4 | $39,463 | 95.7 |
| 33 | Michigan | $39,350 | $1,426 | 96.2 | $39,415 | 95.6 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $38,230 | $1,083 | 94.3 | $39,382 | 95.5 |
| 35 | Nevada | $39,140 | — | 100.0 | $39,148 | 95.0 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $37,340 | $708 | 93.7 | $39,075 | 94.8 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $34,940 | $1,154 | 86.9 | $38,862 | 94.3 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $34,910 | $672 | 88.2 | $38,815 | 94.1 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,420 | $1,882 | 110.0 | $38,688 | 93.8 |
| 40 | Georgia | $38,590 | $1,433 | 96.3 | $38,587 | 93.6 |
| 41 | Texas | $37,250 | — | 97.1 | $38,380 | 93.1 |
| 42 | Indiana | $36,680 | $1,070 | 93.3 | $38,155 | 92.5 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $35,580 | $610 | 92.2 | $37,924 | 92.0 |
| 44 | Alabama | $35,170 | $1,494 | 88.8 | $37,914 | 92.0 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $34,780 | $925 | 89.5 | $37,828 | 91.8 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $39,490 | $852 | 103.6 | $37,292 | 90.5 |
| 47 | Delaware | $38,600 | $1,465 | 99.8 | $37,206 | 90.2 |
| 48 | Florida | $37,870 | — | 103.4 | $36,620 | 88.8 |
| 49 | Illinois | $38,140 | $1,747 | 100.0 | $36,408 | 88.3 |
| 50 | Utah | $37,550 | $1,709 | 98.9 | $36,253 | 87.9 |
| 51 | Maryland | $39,490 | $1,543 | 105.0 | $36,154 | 87.7 |
"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.
Counter and Rental Clerks — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a counter and rental clerks?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, North Dakota is the best state for a counter and rental clerks: a BLS median of $44,620 is worth $50,158 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 89.0), an index of 121.7 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a counter and rental clerks at $53,760, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 51 on real pay (index 114.0). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a counter and rental clerks salary go least far?
- Maryland ranks last of 51 states for a counter and rental clerks: a $39,490 BLS median is worth only $36,154 after tax and cost of living (index 87.7). 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
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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 counter and rental clerks is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.