GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Financial Examiners
Best States to Be a Financial Examiners
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a financial examiners salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $198,720 BLS median worth $168,064 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 191.1).
Which US states are best for a financial examiners after cost of living and tax?
For a financial examiners, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $198,720 BLS median becomes $168,064 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 191.1). Hawaii ranks last ($54,100, index 61.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 49 states for a financial examiners. Index 100 = the average state; 191.1 means pay goes 91.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedFinancial Examiners — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $198,720 | $14,016 | 109.9 | $168,064 | 191.1 |
| 2 | New York | $128,920 | $6,687 | 107.9 | $113,262 | 128.8 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $120,530 | $5,082 | 103.6 | $111,426 | 126.7 |
| 4 | Washington | $113,700 | — | 107.0 | $106,249 | 120.8 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $100,730 | $3,739 | 94.3 | $102,825 | 116.9 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $88,690 | — | 88.6 | $100,117 | 113.8 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $104,260 | $5,601 | 98.6 | $100,039 | 113.7 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $111,110 | $5,336 | 105.8 | $100,017 | 113.7 |
| 9 | Virginia | $104,060 | $5,184 | 101.1 | $97,797 | 111.2 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $85,430 | $2,954 | 87.0 | $94,852 | 107.8 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $87,110 | — | 91.9 | $94,819 | 107.8 |
| 12 | Maryland | $102,980 | $4,559 | 105.0 | $93,771 | 106.6 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $106,410 | $4,588 | 108.8 | $93,582 | 106.4 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $84,310 | $2,154 | 88.2 | $93,140 | 105.9 |
| 15 | Colorado | $99,610 | $3,723 | 103.1 | $93,047 | 105.8 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $82,640 | $374 | 89.0 | $92,477 | 105.1 |
| 17 | California | $106,000 | $5,736 | 110.7 | $90,556 | 102.9 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $94,130 | $2,930 | 102.3 | $89,167 | 101.4 |
| 19 | Utah | $92,000 | $4,186 | 98.9 | $88,823 | 101.0 |
| 20 | Illinois | $93,150 | $4,470 | 100.0 | $88,717 | 100.9 |
| 21 | Alaska | $90,530 | — | 102.4 | $88,444 | 100.5 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $86,440 | $3,752 | 93.7 | $88,202 | 100.3 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $80,760 | $3,298 | 87.8 | $88,182 | 100.2 |
| 24 | Iowa | $80,370 | $3,014 | 87.8 | $88,143 | 100.2 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $86,320 | $3,423 | 94.1 | $88,100 | 100.2 |
| 26 | Delaware | $92,390 | $4,757 | 99.8 | $87,802 | 99.8 |
| 27 | Idaho | $85,260 | $3,735 | 95.5 | $85,372 | 97.1 |
| 28 | Kansas | $80,420 | $3,688 | 90.1 | $85,194 | 96.8 |
| 29 | Missouri | $79,990 | $2,879 | 90.8 | $84,909 | 96.5 |
| 30 | Nevada | $84,650 | — | 100.0 | $84,668 | 96.3 |
| 31 | Indiana | $81,300 | $2,409 | 93.3 | $84,530 | 96.1 |
| 32 | Oregon | $94,630 | $7,476 | 103.4 | $84,320 | 95.9 |
| 33 | Montana | $80,970 | $3,639 | 94.6 | $81,706 | 92.9 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $76,260 | $2,920 | 90.2 | $81,346 | 92.5 |
| 35 | Texas | $78,140 | — | 97.1 | $80,509 | 91.5 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $74,460 | $2,776 | 90.1 | $79,558 | 90.4 |
| 37 | Maine | $80,840 | $3,842 | 97.0 | $79,339 | 90.2 |
| 38 | Arizona | $80,260 | $1,532 | 100.7 | $78,199 | 88.9 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $78,500 | $2,410 | 97.6 | $77,983 | 88.7 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $80,810 | — | 104.2 | $77,579 | 88.2 |
| 41 | Georgia | $77,710 | $3,542 | 96.3 | $77,023 | 87.6 |
| 42 | Florida | $76,230 | — | 103.4 | $73,713 | 83.8 |
| 43 | Vermont | $74,680 | $2,547 | 98.0 | $73,637 | 83.7 |
| 44 | Ohio | $69,040 | $1,116 | 92.8 | $73,214 | 83.2 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $67,950 | $2,080 | 92.2 | $71,434 | 81.2 |
| 46 | Michigan | $71,050 | $2,773 | 96.2 | $70,961 | 80.7 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $60,590 | $1,991 | 89.5 | $65,476 | 74.4 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $57,590 | $2,038 | 86.9 | $63,900 | 72.6 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $62,720 | $3,237 | 110.0 | $54,100 | 61.5 |
"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 District of Columbia, a $198,720 salary is worth about $161,379 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $21,362 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $177,358 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $224,324, a $62,945 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $224,324 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $219,665 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $218,530 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $218,482 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $217,826 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $217,799 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $216,306 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $215,476 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $214,390 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $212,540 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $211,594 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $211,339 | 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).
Financial Examiners — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a financial examiners?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a financial examiners: a BLS median of $198,720 is worth $168,064 after the 2025 state income tax ($14,016) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 191.1 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 financial examiners at $198,720, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 191.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a financial examiners salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 49 states for a financial examiners: a $62,720 BLS median is worth only $54,100 after tax and cost of living (index 61.5). 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 financial examiners is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.