GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Health Education Specialists
Best States to Be a Health Education Specialists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a health education specialists salary goes furthest in Georgia — a $99,400 BLS median worth $98,334 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 149.8).
Which US states are best for a health education specialists after cost of living and tax?
For a health education specialists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Georgia #1: a $99,400 BLS median becomes $98,334 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 149.8). Florida ranks last ($44,830, index 68.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Georgia ranks #1 of 51 states for a health education specialists. Index 100 = the average state; 149.8 means pay goes 49.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedHealth Education Specialists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | $99,400 | $4,711 | 96.3 | $98,334 | 149.8 |
| 2 | Maryland | $104,470 | $4,630 | 105.0 | $95,123 | 145.0 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $103,330 | $5,908 | 109.9 | $88,645 | 135.1 |
| 4 | Iowa | $75,750 | $2,839 | 87.8 | $83,079 | 126.6 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $80,670 | $2,477 | 97.6 | $80,139 | 122.1 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $74,040 | $2,772 | 94.1 | $75,741 | 115.4 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $78,400 | $3,842 | 98.6 | $75,600 | 115.2 |
| 8 | Washington | $77,420 | — | 107.0 | $72,346 | 110.2 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $75,360 | $2,226 | 102.3 | $71,504 | 109.0 |
| 10 | Alaska | $71,940 | — | 102.4 | $70,282 | 107.1 |
| 11 | Alabama | $65,210 | $2,996 | 88.8 | $70,043 | 106.7 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $65,370 | $2,484 | 90.2 | $69,750 | 106.3 |
| 13 | Colorado | $74,150 | $2,603 | 103.1 | $69,428 | 105.8 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $62,270 | $2,220 | 86.9 | $69,073 | 105.3 |
| 15 | Ohio | $64,860 | $1,001 | 92.8 | $68,833 | 104.9 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $62,440 | $2,428 | 87.8 | $68,317 | 104.1 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $62,760 | $2,090 | 89.5 | $67,790 | 103.3 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $62,750 | — | 92.7 | $67,698 | 103.2 |
| 19 | Oregon | $75,500 | $5,802 | 103.4 | $67,431 | 102.8 |
| 20 | Vermont | $68,140 | $2,115 | 98.0 | $67,401 | 102.7 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,990 | — | 104.2 | $67,191 | 102.4 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $59,650 | — | 89.0 | $67,053 | 102.2 |
| 23 | Kansas | $62,990 | $2,715 | 90.1 | $66,921 | 102.0 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $64,720 | $2,405 | 93.7 | $66,470 | 101.3 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $73,740 | $2,526 | 108.8 | $65,451 | 99.7 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $57,370 | — | 88.6 | $64,762 | 98.7 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $57,840 | $1,360 | 88.2 | $64,031 | 97.6 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $66,870 | $2,103 | 103.6 | $62,511 | 95.3 |
| 29 | Nevada | $62,120 | — | 100.0 | $62,133 | 94.7 |
| 30 | Arizona | $63,390 | $1,110 | 100.7 | $61,861 | 94.3 |
| 31 | Idaho | $61,330 | $2,372 | 95.5 | $61,740 | 94.1 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $57,990 | $1,612 | 92.2 | $61,140 | 93.2 |
| 33 | Texas | $59,340 | — | 97.1 | $61,139 | 93.2 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $56,800 | $1,857 | 90.1 | $60,978 | 92.9 |
| 35 | Missouri | $57,050 | $1,800 | 90.8 | $60,836 | 92.7 |
| 36 | Delaware | $63,300 | $2,837 | 99.8 | $60,580 | 92.3 |
| 37 | Indiana | $58,170 | $1,715 | 93.3 | $60,490 | 92.2 |
| 38 | Virginia | $64,040 | $2,883 | 101.1 | $60,490 | 92.2 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $58,080 | $1,927 | 94.3 | $59,531 | 90.7 |
| 40 | Utah | $59,790 | $2,720 | 98.9 | $57,725 | 88.0 |
| 41 | Maine | $58,300 | $2,321 | 97.0 | $57,681 | 87.9 |
| 42 | Illinois | $60,120 | $2,835 | 100.0 | $57,309 | 87.3 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $51,020 | $1,440 | 87.0 | $57,020 | 86.9 |
| 44 | Michigan | $56,360 | $2,149 | 96.2 | $56,343 | 85.9 |
| 45 | California | $63,610 | $1,957 | 110.7 | $55,684 | 84.9 |
| 46 | New York | $62,560 | $2,836 | 107.9 | $55,341 | 84.3 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $63,740 | $3,314 | 110.0 | $54,957 | 83.7 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $49,630 | — | 91.9 | $54,022 | 82.3 |
| 49 | Montana | $51,200 | $1,883 | 94.6 | $52,108 | 79.4 |
| 50 | Massachusetts | $57,510 | $2,656 | 105.8 | $51,868 | 79.0 |
| 51 | Florida | $46,360 | — | 103.4 | $44,830 | 68.3 |
"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.
In Georgia, a $99,400 salary is worth about $97,663 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $5,358 (flat 5.39%) · take-home $94,042 · BEA cost of living 96.3 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $112,207, a $14,545 gain over Georgia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $112,207 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $109,877 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $109,309 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $109,285 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $108,957 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $108,943 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $108,196 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $107,781 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $107,238 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $106,313 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $105,840 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $105,712 | 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).
Health Education Specialists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a health education specialists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Georgia is the best state for a health education specialists: a BLS median of $99,400 is worth $98,334 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,711) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 96.3), an index of 149.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Maryland has the highest headline BLS median for a health education specialists at $104,470, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 51 on real pay (index 145.0). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a health education specialists salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 51 states for a health education specialists: a $46,360 BLS median is worth only $44,830 after tax and cost of living (index 68.3). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
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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 health education specialists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.