GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Best States to Be a Crossing Guards and Flaggers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a crossing guards and flaggers salary goes furthest in North Dakota — a $60,230 BLS median worth $67,705 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 175.9).
Which US states are best for a crossing guards and flaggers after cost of living and tax?
For a crossing guards and flaggers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks North Dakota #1: a $60,230 BLS median becomes $67,705 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 175.9). Louisiana ranks last ($28,412, index 73.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
North Dakota ranks #1 of 49 states for a crossing guards and flaggers. Index 100 = the average state; 175.9 means pay goes 75.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCrossing Guards and Flaggers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $60,230 | — | 89.0 | $67,705 | 175.9 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $46,940 | — | 88.6 | $52,988 | 137.7 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $47,070 | — | 92.7 | $50,782 | 131.9 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $48,100 | $1,782 | 98.6 | $46,966 | 122.0 |
| 5 | Washington | $48,940 | — | 107.0 | $45,733 | 118.8 |
| 6 | Iowa | $41,240 | $1,527 | 87.8 | $45,251 | 117.6 |
| 7 | Vermont | $45,410 | $1,102 | 98.0 | $45,231 | 117.5 |
| 8 | California | $50,610 | $1,133 | 110.7 | $44,687 | 116.1 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $45,980 | — | 104.2 | $44,142 | 114.7 |
| 10 | Oregon | $47,110 | $3,318 | 103.4 | $42,368 | 110.1 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $37,990 | $897 | 90.1 | $41,167 | 107.0 |
| 12 | Idaho | $40,060 | $1,161 | 95.5 | $40,734 | 105.8 |
| 13 | Maine | $40,140 | $1,159 | 97.0 | $40,165 | 104.4 |
| 14 | Ohio | $37,440 | $247 | 92.8 | $40,090 | 104.2 |
| 15 | New York | $44,730 | $1,855 | 107.9 | $39,728 | 103.2 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $41,950 | $963 | 103.6 | $39,559 | 102.8 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $43,460 | $1,953 | 105.8 | $39,248 | 102.0 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $35,960 | — | 91.9 | $39,142 | 101.7 |
| 19 | Indiana | $37,440 | $1,093 | 93.3 | $38,945 | 101.2 |
| 20 | Kansas | $35,440 | $1,179 | 90.1 | $38,039 | 98.8 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $41,600 | $751 | 108.8 | $37,544 | 97.5 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $42,780 | $1,764 | 110.0 | $37,304 | 96.9 |
| 23 | Illinois | $38,990 | $1,789 | 100.0 | $37,217 | 96.7 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $35,580 | $806 | 94.1 | $36,956 | 96.0 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $34,450 | $1,247 | 90.2 | $36,827 | 95.7 |
| 26 | Arizona | $37,440 | $461 | 100.7 | $36,730 | 95.4 |
| 27 | Michigan | $36,540 | $1,306 | 96.2 | $36,619 | 95.1 |
| 28 | Missouri | $33,560 | $696 | 90.8 | $36,187 | 94.0 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $40,800 | $1,348 | 109.9 | $35,898 | 93.3 |
| 30 | Virginia | $37,560 | $1,360 | 101.1 | $35,805 | 93.0 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $32,800 | $859 | 89.5 | $35,689 | 92.7 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $35,810 | $1,099 | 97.6 | $35,574 | 92.4 |
| 33 | Colorado | $37,620 | $995 | 103.1 | $35,540 | 92.3 |
| 34 | Delaware | $36,500 | $1,349 | 99.8 | $35,219 | 91.5 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $33,730 | $892 | 94.3 | $34,814 | 90.5 |
| 36 | Florida | $35,730 | — | 103.4 | $34,550 | 89.8 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $32,690 | $424 | 93.7 | $34,418 | 89.4 |
| 38 | Texas | $33,350 | — | 97.1 | $34,361 | 89.3 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $30,830 | $994 | 86.9 | $34,319 | 89.2 |
| 40 | Georgia | $34,230 | $1,198 | 96.3 | $34,303 | 89.1 |
| 41 | Utah | $35,480 | $1,614 | 98.9 | $34,255 | 89.0 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $31,460 | $433 | 92.2 | $33,647 | 87.4 |
| 43 | Montana | $32,600 | $827 | 94.6 | $33,571 | 87.2 |
| 44 | Maryland | $35,850 | $1,370 | 105.0 | $32,851 | 85.4 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $28,610 | $821 | 87.8 | $31,634 | 82.2 |
| 46 | Alabama | $29,190 | $1,195 | 88.8 | $31,518 | 81.9 |
| 47 | Nevada | $31,480 | — | 100.0 | $31,487 | 81.8 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | $31,200 | $570 | 102.3 | $29,947 | 77.8 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $25,450 | $389 | 88.2 | $28,412 | 73.8 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 49 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 North Dakota, a $60,230 salary is worth about $66,013 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $1,506 (≈ top marginal 2.50% (upper bound)) · take-home $58,724 · BEA cost of living 89.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $67,990, a $1,978 gain over North Dakota.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $67,990 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $66,578 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $66,234 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $66,220 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $66,021 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $66,013 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $65,560 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $65,309 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $64,979 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $64,419 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $64,132 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $64,055 | 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).
Crossing Guards and Flaggers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a crossing guards and flaggers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, North Dakota is the best state for a crossing guards and flaggers: a BLS median of $60,230 is worth $67,705 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 89.0), an index of 175.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. North Dakota has the highest headline BLS median for a crossing guards and flaggers at $60,230, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 175.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a crossing guards and flaggers salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 49 states for a crossing guards and flaggers: a $25,450 BLS median is worth only $28,412 after tax and cost of living (index 73.8). 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 crossing guards and flaggers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.