Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?

Not necessarily. Delaware has the highest headline BLS median for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers at $74,340, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 119.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Best States to Be a First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers salary goes furthest in Delaware — a $74,340 BLS median worth $70,911 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 119.9).

Which US states are best for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers after cost of living and tax?

For a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Delaware #1: a $74,340 BLS median becomes $70,911 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 119.9). Texas ranks last ($49,074, index 83.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Delaware ranks #1 of 51 states for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers. Index 100 = the average state; 119.9 means pay goes 19.9% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

119.9

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers — real pay by state (best first)

#	State	BLS median	State tax	Cost (RPP)	Real pay	Index
1	Delaware	$74,340	$3,565	99.8	$70,911	119.9
2	North Dakota	$62,280	—	89.0	$70,010	118.4
3	South Dakota	$60,680	—	88.6	$68,498	115.9
4	Washington	$71,930	—	107.0	$67,216	113.7
5	Alaska	$67,760	—	102.4	$66,198	112.0
6	Vermont	$66,810	$2,028	98.0	$66,133	111.9
7	Kansas	$61,270	$2,619	90.1	$65,118	110.1
8	Indiana	$62,040	$1,831	93.3	$64,512	109.1
9	Wisconsin	$62,630	$2,167	94.1	$64,257	108.7
10	Iowa	$57,670	$2,151	87.8	$63,260	107.0
11	Oregon	$70,560	$5,370	103.4	$63,070	106.7
12	New York	$70,760	$3,287	107.9	$62,521	105.8
13	New Mexico	$59,120	$1,665	92.2	$62,308	105.4
14	Nebraska	$57,820	$1,910	90.1	$62,051	105.0
15	South Carolina	$60,100	$2,119	93.7	$61,847	104.6
16	New Hampshire	$64,340	—	104.2	$61,767	104.5
17	Kentucky	$57,670	$2,176	90.2	$61,551	104.1
18	Maine	$62,300	$2,591	97.0	$61,524	104.1
19	New Jersey	$68,580	$2,241	108.8	$60,970	103.1
20	Wyoming	$56,230	—	92.7	$60,664	102.6
21	West Virginia	$55,910	$1,783	89.5	$60,479	102.3
22	Minnesota	$62,280	$2,746	98.6	$60,366	102.1
23	Montana	$59,460	$2,370	94.6	$60,320	102.0
24	District of Columbia	$68,300	$3,065	109.9	$59,358	100.4
25	Ohio	$55,680	$749	92.8	$59,210	100.2
26	Michigan	$58,840	$2,254	96.2	$58,811	99.5
27	Connecticut	$62,740	$1,898	103.6	$58,722	99.3
28	Idaho	$58,200	$2,194	95.5	$58,649	99.2
29	Tennessee	$53,700	—	91.9	$58,452	98.9
30	North Carolina	$56,930	$1,878	94.3	$58,364	98.7
31	Massachusetts	$63,750	$2,968	105.8	$57,474	97.2
32	Nevada	$57,250	—	100.0	$57,262	96.9
33	Colorado	$60,840	$2,017	103.1	$57,081	96.6
34	Rhode Island	$59,940	$1,648	102.3	$56,993	96.4
35	Alabama	$52,710	$2,371	88.8	$56,674	95.9
36	California	$63,270	$1,930	110.7	$55,401	93.7
37	Arkansas	$49,890	$1,737	86.9	$55,388	93.7
38	Virginia	$58,400	$2,558	101.1	$55,232	93.4
39	Utah	$57,200	$2,603	98.9	$55,225	93.4
40	Arizona	$56,410	$935	100.7	$55,102	93.2
41	Pennsylvania	$55,450	$1,702	97.6	$55,085	93.2
42	Georgia	$54,830	$2,309	96.3	$54,543	92.3
43	Oklahoma	$49,700	$1,823	87.8	$54,503	92.2
44	Hawaii	$62,570	$3,225	110.0	$53,974	91.3
45	Louisiana	$48,410	$1,077	88.2	$53,661	90.8
46	Mississippi	$47,130	$1,269	87.0	$52,743	89.2
47	Missouri	$48,710	$1,408	90.8	$52,084	88.1
48	Illinois	$53,340	$2,499	100.0	$50,862	86.0
49	Maryland	$54,730	$2,267	105.0	$49,984	84.5
50	Florida	$51,290	—	103.4	$49,597	83.9
51	Texas	$47,630	—	97.1	$49,074	83.0

"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 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.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Delaware, a $74,340 salary is worth about $69,567 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $4,906 (≈ top marginal 6.60% (upper bound)) · take-home $69,434 · BEA cost of living 99.8 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $83,918, a $14,351 gain over Delaware.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$83,918	88.6
2	Arkansas	$82,175	86.9
3	Louisiana	$81,751	88.2
4	Mississippi	$81,733	87.0
5	Iowa	$81,488	87.8
6	North Dakota	$81,477	89.0
7	Tennessee	$80,919	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$80,608	87.8
9	Wyoming	$80,202	92.7
10	Alabama	$79,510	88.8
11	Kentucky	$79,156	90.2
12	West Virginia	$79,061	89.5

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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).

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers — real pay FAQ

What is the best state to be a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers?: By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Delaware is the best state for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers: a BLS median of $74,340 is worth $70,911 after the 2025 state income tax ($3,565) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 99.8), an index of 119.9 where the average state is 100.
Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?: Not necessarily. Delaware has the highest headline BLS median for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers at $74,340, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 119.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
Where does a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers salary go least far?: Texas ranks last of 51 states for a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers: a $47,630 BLS median is worth only $49,074 after tax and cost of living (index 83.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.

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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 first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.