GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
Best States to Be a Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a eligibility interviewers, government programs salary goes furthest in Iowa — a $61,340 BLS median worth $67,283 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 126.5).
Which US states are best for a eligibility interviewers, government programs after cost of living and tax?
For a eligibility interviewers, government programs, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Iowa #1: a $61,340 BLS median becomes $67,283 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 126.5). Florida ranks last ($36,001, index 67.7). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Iowa ranks #1 of 50 states for a eligibility interviewers, government programs. Index 100 = the average state; 126.5 means pay goes 26.5% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedEligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $61,340 | $2,291 | 87.8 | $67,283 | 126.5 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $71,940 | $2,382 | 103.6 | $67,135 | 126.2 |
| 3 | Michigan | $66,830 | $2,594 | 96.2 | $66,762 | 125.5 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $74,080 | $3,440 | 109.9 | $64,276 | 120.8 |
| 5 | Washington | $66,330 | — | 107.0 | $61,983 | 116.5 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $64,560 | $1,821 | 102.3 | $61,340 | 115.3 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $62,820 | $2,783 | 98.6 | $60,877 | 114.4 |
| 8 | Alaska | $61,840 | — | 102.4 | $60,415 | 113.6 |
| 9 | Montana | $59,180 | $2,353 | 94.6 | $60,042 | 112.9 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $52,350 | — | 88.6 | $59,095 | 111.1 |
| 11 | Illinois | $61,840 | $2,920 | 100.0 | $58,945 | 110.8 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $59,070 | $1,813 | 97.6 | $58,681 | 110.3 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $64,750 | $3,018 | 105.8 | $58,372 | 109.7 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $51,810 | — | 89.0 | $58,240 | 109.5 |
| 15 | Vermont | $58,530 | $1,542 | 98.0 | $58,176 | 109.4 |
| 16 | Alabama | $54,040 | $2,437 | 88.8 | $58,096 | 109.2 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $53,000 | $1,377 | 92.2 | $55,983 | 105.2 |
| 18 | California | $63,520 | $1,950 | 110.7 | $55,609 | 104.5 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $52,020 | $1,950 | 90.2 | $55,535 | 104.4 |
| 20 | Nevada | $55,160 | — | 100.0 | $55,172 | 103.7 |
| 21 | Colorado | $58,750 | $1,925 | 103.1 | $55,142 | 103.7 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $57,300 | — | 104.2 | $55,009 | 103.4 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $50,320 | $1,520 | 90.1 | $54,160 | 101.8 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $49,090 | $1,794 | 87.8 | $53,841 | 101.2 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $49,230 | — | 91.9 | $53,587 | 100.7 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $48,260 | $1,073 | 88.2 | $53,496 | 100.6 |
| 27 | Ohio | $50,070 | $595 | 92.8 | $53,329 | 100.2 |
| 28 | Idaho | $52,670 | $1,879 | 95.5 | $53,187 | 100.0 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $51,480 | $1,576 | 94.1 | $53,036 | 99.7 |
| 30 | Kansas | $49,650 | $1,971 | 90.1 | $52,937 | 99.5 |
| 31 | Maryland | $57,160 | $2,382 | 105.0 | $52,190 | 98.1 |
| 32 | Utah | $52,790 | $2,402 | 98.9 | $50,967 | 95.8 |
| 33 | Maine | $50,860 | $1,818 | 97.0 | $50,532 | 95.0 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $45,340 | $1,560 | 86.9 | $50,359 | 94.7 |
| 35 | Oregon | $55,660 | $4,066 | 103.4 | $49,916 | 93.8 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $47,350 | $1,471 | 94.3 | $48,639 | 91.4 |
| 37 | Virginia | $50,960 | $2,130 | 101.1 | $48,296 | 90.8 |
| 38 | Texas | $46,860 | — | 97.1 | $48,281 | 90.8 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $44,150 | $1,261 | 89.5 | $47,922 | 90.1 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $54,970 | $2,648 | 110.0 | $47,587 | 89.4 |
| 41 | New York | $53,430 | $2,334 | 107.9 | $47,346 | 89.0 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $51,380 | $1,291 | 108.8 | $46,036 | 86.5 |
| 43 | Missouri | $42,850 | $1,133 | 90.8 | $45,935 | 86.3 |
| 44 | Georgia | $44,620 | $1,758 | 96.3 | $44,512 | 83.7 |
| 45 | Indiana | $40,160 | $1,175 | 93.3 | $41,772 | 78.5 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $36,840 | $816 | 87.0 | $41,430 | 77.9 |
| 47 | Delaware | $42,900 | $1,704 | 99.8 | $41,275 | 77.6 |
| 48 | Arizona | $41,690 | $567 | 100.7 | $40,846 | 76.8 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $38,670 | $790 | 93.7 | $40,406 | 76.0 |
| 50 | Florida | $37,230 | — | 103.4 | $36,001 | 67.7 |
"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 Iowa, a $61,340 salary is worth about $67,238 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,331 (flat 3.80%) · take-home $59,009 · BEA cost of living 87.8 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $69,243, a $2,006 gain over Iowa.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $69,243 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $67,805 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $67,455 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $67,440 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $67,238 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $67,229 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $66,768 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $66,512 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $66,177 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $65,606 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $65,314 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $65,235 | 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).
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a eligibility interviewers, government programs?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Iowa is the best state for a eligibility interviewers, government programs: a BLS median of $61,340 is worth $67,283 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,291) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 87.8), an index of 126.5 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 eligibility interviewers, government programs at $74,080, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 50 on real pay (index 120.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a eligibility interviewers, government programs salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 50 states for a eligibility interviewers, government programs: a $37,230 BLS median is worth only $36,001 after tax and cost of living (index 67.7). 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 eligibility interviewers, government programs is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.