GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Financial Risk Specialists
Best States to Be a Financial Risk Specialists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a financial risk specialists salary goes furthest in New Hampshire — a $158,320 BLS median worth $151,990 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 149.1).
Which US states are best for a financial risk specialists after cost of living and tax?
For a financial risk specialists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New Hampshire #1: a $158,320 BLS median becomes $151,990 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 149.1). Louisiana ranks last ($64,691, index 63.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New Hampshire ranks #1 of 50 states for a financial risk specialists. Index 100 = the average state; 149.1 means pay goes 49.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedFinancial Risk Specialists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $158,320 | — | 104.2 | $151,990 | 149.1 |
| 2 | Maine | $141,020 | $8,134 | 97.0 | $136,925 | 134.3 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $132,040 | $5,070 | 94.3 | $134,608 | 132.0 |
| 4 | Delaware | $139,440 | $7,862 | 99.8 | $131,831 | 129.3 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $119,550 | — | 92.7 | $128,977 | 126.5 |
| 6 | New York | $136,830 | $7,162 | 107.9 | $120,151 | 117.8 |
| 7 | Virginia | $126,510 | $6,475 | 101.1 | $118,725 | 116.4 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $130,400 | $6,300 | 105.8 | $117,344 | 115.1 |
| 9 | Iowa | $105,680 | $3,976 | 87.8 | $115,886 | 113.7 |
| 10 | Washington | $123,150 | — | 107.0 | $115,079 | 112.9 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $129,220 | $6,041 | 108.8 | $113,210 | 111.0 |
| 12 | Colorado | $120,300 | $4,633 | 103.1 | $112,241 | 110.1 |
| 13 | California | $129,110 | $7,885 | 110.7 | $109,488 | 107.4 |
| 14 | Texas | $103,760 | — | 97.1 | $106,906 | 104.8 |
| 15 | Maryland | $117,130 | $5,259 | 105.0 | $106,585 | 104.5 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $96,100 | $3,423 | 87.0 | $106,583 | 104.5 |
| 17 | Missouri | $100,620 | $3,848 | 90.8 | $106,557 | 104.5 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $113,990 | $4,694 | 103.6 | $105,487 | 103.5 |
| 19 | Ohio | $98,650 | $1,931 | 92.8 | $104,253 | 102.2 |
| 20 | Michigan | $103,940 | $4,171 | 96.2 | $103,692 | 101.7 |
| 21 | Indiana | $99,250 | $2,948 | 93.3 | $103,186 | 101.2 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $103,040 | $3,163 | 97.6 | $102,362 | 100.4 |
| 23 | Montana | $100,920 | $4,816 | 94.6 | $101,541 | 99.6 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $94,350 | $3,613 | 89.5 | $101,386 | 99.4 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $99,520 | $4,563 | 93.7 | $101,289 | 99.3 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $105,420 | $5,680 | 98.6 | $101,135 | 99.2 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $94,280 | $3,806 | 90.1 | $100,411 | 98.5 |
| 28 | Nevada | $100,010 | — | 100.0 | $100,031 | 98.1 |
| 29 | Arizona | $102,800 | $2,095 | 100.7 | $100,028 | 98.1 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $97,820 | $4,032 | 94.1 | $99,673 | 97.8 |
| 31 | Georgia | $100,570 | $4,774 | 96.3 | $99,484 | 97.6 |
| 32 | Illinois | $104,300 | $5,022 | 100.0 | $99,320 | 97.4 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $90,950 | — | 91.9 | $98,999 | 97.1 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $104,470 | $3,403 | 102.3 | $98,814 | 96.9 |
| 35 | Oregon | $109,580 | $8,784 | 103.4 | $97,518 | 95.6 |
| 36 | Florida | $99,900 | — | 103.4 | $96,602 | 94.7 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $85,140 | $3,507 | 87.8 | $92,931 | 91.1 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $87,260 | $2,999 | 92.2 | $91,378 | 89.6 |
| 39 | Kansas | $84,790 | $3,932 | 90.1 | $89,775 | 88.0 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $78,960 | — | 88.6 | $89,134 | 87.4 |
| 41 | Alabama | $81,750 | $3,823 | 88.8 | $87,733 | 86.0 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $99,230 | $5,560 | 109.9 | $85,232 | 83.6 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $74,630 | $218 | 89.0 | $83,648 | 82.0 |
| 44 | Alaska | $85,370 | — | 102.4 | $83,403 | 81.8 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $74,640 | $2,855 | 90.2 | $79,621 | 78.1 |
| 46 | Idaho | $76,870 | $3,257 | 95.5 | $77,086 | 75.6 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $89,860 | $5,299 | 110.0 | $76,908 | 75.4 |
| 48 | Utah | $77,770 | $3,539 | 98.9 | $75,084 | 73.6 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $66,110 | $2,370 | 86.9 | $73,318 | 71.9 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $58,440 | $1,378 | 88.2 | $64,691 | 63.4 |
"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 New Hampshire, a $158,320 salary is worth about $151,990 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $158,320 · BEA cost of living 104.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $178,719, a $26,729 gain over New Hampshire.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $178,719 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $175,007 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $174,102 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $174,064 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $173,542 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $173,520 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $172,330 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $171,670 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $170,804 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $169,330 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $168,577 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $168,373 | 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 Risk Specialists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a financial risk specialists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New Hampshire is the best state for a financial risk specialists: a BLS median of $158,320 is worth $151,990 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 104.2), an index of 149.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New Hampshire has the highest headline BLS median for a financial risk specialists at $158,320, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 149.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a financial risk specialists salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 50 states for a financial risk specialists: a $58,440 BLS median is worth only $64,691 after tax and cost of living (index 63.4). 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
- 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 financial risk specialists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.