GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Electrical Engineers
Best States to Be a Electrical Engineers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a electrical engineers salary goes furthest in New Mexico — a $158,520 BLS median worth $164,870 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 144.9).
Which US states are best for a electrical engineers after cost of living and tax?
For a electrical engineers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New Mexico #1: a $158,520 BLS median becomes $164,870 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 144.9). Montana ranks last ($88,060, index 77.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New Mexico ranks #1 of 49 states for a electrical engineers. Index 100 = the average state; 144.9 means pay goes 44.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedElectrical Engineers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $158,520 | $6,490 | 92.2 | $164,870 | 144.9 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $123,710 | $3,336 | 88.2 | $136,467 | 120.0 |
| 3 | Alabama | $125,630 | $6,017 | 88.8 | $134,665 | 118.4 |
| 4 | Texas | $129,450 | — | 97.1 | $133,375 | 117.2 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $135,710 | — | 104.2 | $130,284 | 114.5 |
| 6 | Idaho | $129,340 | $6,246 | 95.5 | $128,903 | 113.3 |
| 7 | Missouri | $118,670 | $4,697 | 90.8 | $125,498 | 110.3 |
| 8 | Washington | $132,710 | — | 107.0 | $124,013 | 109.0 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $110,810 | $923 | 89.0 | $123,525 | 108.6 |
| 10 | Alaska | $125,970 | — | 102.4 | $123,067 | 108.2 |
| 11 | California | $144,040 | $9,274 | 110.7 | $121,718 | 107.0 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $143,000 | $9,280 | 109.9 | $121,673 | 106.9 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $113,420 | $4,532 | 89.5 | $121,667 | 106.9 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $111,740 | — | 92.7 | $120,551 | 106.0 |
| 15 | Delaware | $126,970 | $7,039 | 99.8 | $120,162 | 105.6 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $107,760 | $4,581 | 87.8 | $117,458 | 103.2 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $104,990 | $3,814 | 87.0 | $116,357 | 102.3 |
| 18 | Iowa | $105,820 | $3,981 | 87.8 | $116,040 | 102.0 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $127,720 | $6,166 | 105.8 | $114,937 | 101.0 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $107,260 | $4,481 | 90.1 | $114,068 | 100.3 |
| 21 | Maryland | $125,150 | $5,660 | 105.0 | $113,844 | 100.1 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $104,450 | — | 91.9 | $113,693 | 99.9 |
| 23 | Colorado | $120,760 | $4,653 | 103.1 | $112,668 | 99.0 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $110,130 | $4,139 | 94.3 | $112,367 | 98.8 |
| 25 | Virginia | $119,030 | $6,045 | 101.1 | $111,752 | 98.2 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $98,980 | — | 88.6 | $111,733 | 98.2 |
| 27 | Maine | $114,620 | $6,246 | 97.0 | $111,668 | 98.2 |
| 28 | Oregon | $125,160 | $10,148 | 103.4 | $111,273 | 97.8 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $110,820 | $3,402 | 97.6 | $110,091 | 96.8 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $125,370 | $5,796 | 108.8 | $109,897 | 96.6 |
| 31 | Vermont | $111,310 | $4,965 | 98.0 | $108,562 | 95.4 |
| 32 | Kansas | $102,630 | $4,927 | 90.1 | $108,477 | 95.3 |
| 33 | Nevada | $107,400 | — | 100.0 | $107,423 | 94.4 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $96,860 | $3,569 | 86.9 | $107,309 | 94.3 |
| 35 | Indiana | $102,670 | $3,050 | 93.3 | $106,741 | 93.8 |
| 36 | Ohio | $100,620 | $1,985 | 92.8 | $106,318 | 93.5 |
| 37 | Michigan | $106,070 | $4,261 | 96.2 | $105,811 | 93.0 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $98,550 | $3,811 | 90.2 | $105,080 | 92.4 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $109,510 | $5,958 | 98.6 | $105,000 | 92.3 |
| 40 | New York | $119,010 | $6,092 | 107.9 | $104,630 | 92.0 |
| 41 | Illinois | $107,860 | $5,198 | 100.0 | $102,705 | 90.3 |
| 42 | Utah | $105,720 | $4,810 | 98.9 | $102,069 | 89.7 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $99,700 | $4,132 | 94.1 | $101,566 | 89.3 |
| 44 | Florida | $104,780 | — | 103.4 | $101,321 | 89.1 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $98,440 | $4,496 | 93.7 | $100,208 | 88.1 |
| 46 | Arizona | $100,550 | $2,039 | 100.7 | $97,849 | 86.0 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $104,160 | $4,154 | 103.6 | $96,522 | 84.8 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $106,350 | $6,552 | 110.0 | $90,765 | 79.8 |
| 49 | Montana | $87,360 | $4,016 | 94.6 | $88,060 | 77.4 |
"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 New Mexico, a $158,520 salary is worth about $161,766 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $9,353 (≈ top marginal 5.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $149,167 · BEA cost of living 92.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $178,945, a $17,179 gain over New Mexico.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $178,945 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $175,228 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $174,322 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $174,284 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $173,761 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $173,740 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $172,548 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $171,887 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $171,020 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $169,544 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $168,790 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $168,586 | 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).
Electrical Engineers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a electrical engineers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New Mexico is the best state for a electrical engineers: a BLS median of $158,520 is worth $164,870 after the 2025 state income tax ($6,490) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.2), an index of 144.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New Mexico has the highest headline BLS median for a electrical engineers at $158,520, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 144.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a electrical engineers salary go least far?
- Montana ranks last of 49 states for a electrical engineers: a $87,360 BLS median is worth only $88,060 after tax and cost of living (index 77.4). 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
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- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
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Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS
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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 electrical engineers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.