GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Human Resources Specialists
Best States to Be a Human Resources Specialists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a human resources specialists salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $110,970 BLS median worth $95,006 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 131.6).
Which US states are best for a human resources specialists after cost of living and tax?
For a human resources specialists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $110,970 BLS median becomes $95,006 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 131.6). Arkansas ranks last ($61,048, index 84.6). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 states for a human resources specialists. Index 100 = the average state; 131.6 means pay goes 31.6% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedHuman Resources Specialists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $110,970 | $6,557 | 109.9 | $95,006 | 131.6 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $75,630 | $237 | 89.0 | $84,750 | 117.4 |
| 3 | Washington | $84,550 | — | 107.0 | $79,009 | 109.5 |
| 4 | Virginia | $82,090 | $3,920 | 101.1 | $77,316 | 107.1 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $85,630 | $4,062 | 105.8 | $77,128 | 106.9 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $82,890 | $2,984 | 103.6 | $77,122 | 106.9 |
| 7 | Vermont | $77,800 | $2,753 | 98.0 | $76,611 | 106.1 |
| 8 | Maryland | $83,910 | $3,653 | 105.0 | $76,465 | 105.9 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $67,590 | — | 88.6 | $76,299 | 105.7 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $78,760 | $3,867 | 98.6 | $75,940 | 105.2 |
| 11 | Colorado | $80,840 | $2,897 | 103.1 | $75,635 | 104.8 |
| 12 | Alaska | $76,990 | — | 102.4 | $75,216 | 104.2 |
| 13 | Kansas | $70,870 | $3,155 | 90.1 | $75,182 | 104.2 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $73,070 | $2,564 | 94.3 | $74,748 | 103.6 |
| 15 | New York | $84,380 | $4,036 | 107.9 | $74,447 | 103.1 |
| 16 | Ohio | $70,180 | $1,148 | 92.8 | $74,409 | 103.1 |
| 17 | Delaware | $77,700 | $3,787 | 99.8 | $74,055 | 102.6 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $69,010 | $2,630 | 90.2 | $73,626 | 102.0 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $77,560 | $2,309 | 102.3 | $73,574 | 101.9 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $67,370 | — | 91.9 | $73,332 | 101.6 |
| 21 | Illinois | $76,820 | $3,662 | 100.0 | $73,189 | 101.4 |
| 22 | Iowa | $66,710 | $2,495 | 87.8 | $73,170 | 101.4 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $66,970 | — | 92.7 | $72,251 | 100.1 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $70,540 | $2,586 | 94.1 | $72,218 | 100.1 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $66,860 | $2,288 | 89.5 | $72,150 | 100.0 |
| 26 | California | $83,500 | $3,644 | 110.7 | $72,125 | 99.9 |
| 27 | Nevada | $71,610 | — | 100.0 | $71,625 | 99.2 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $68,050 | $2,084 | 92.2 | $71,537 | 99.1 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $80,690 | $2,950 | 108.8 | $71,449 | 99.0 |
| 30 | Missouri | $66,990 | $2,268 | 90.8 | $71,267 | 98.7 |
| 31 | Texas | $68,920 | — | 97.1 | $71,010 | 98.4 |
| 32 | Maine | $71,630 | $3,220 | 97.0 | $70,489 | 97.7 |
| 33 | Georgia | $70,570 | $3,157 | 96.3 | $70,008 | 97.0 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $70,450 | $2,163 | 97.6 | $69,986 | 97.0 |
| 35 | Alabama | $64,940 | $2,982 | 88.8 | $69,754 | 96.6 |
| 36 | Oregon | $78,060 | $6,026 | 103.4 | $69,691 | 96.6 |
| 37 | Arizona | $71,390 | $1,310 | 100.7 | $69,609 | 96.4 |
| 38 | Michigan | $69,520 | $2,708 | 96.2 | $69,439 | 96.2 |
| 39 | Utah | $71,750 | $3,265 | 98.9 | $69,272 | 96.0 |
| 40 | Indiana | $65,600 | $1,938 | 93.3 | $68,212 | 94.5 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $70,840 | — | 104.2 | $68,007 | 94.2 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $61,300 | $1,464 | 88.2 | $67,836 | 94.0 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $61,630 | $2,390 | 87.8 | $67,439 | 93.4 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $60,300 | $1,848 | 87.0 | $67,223 | 93.1 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $65,370 | $2,446 | 93.7 | $67,120 | 93.0 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $61,930 | $2,124 | 90.1 | $66,375 | 92.0 |
| 47 | Idaho | $64,990 | $2,581 | 95.5 | $65,354 | 90.5 |
| 48 | Montana | $63,790 | $2,625 | 94.6 | $64,625 | 89.5 |
| 49 | Florida | $66,410 | — | 103.4 | $64,218 | 89.0 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $73,750 | $4,075 | 110.0 | $63,369 | 87.8 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,010 | $1,937 | 86.9 | $61,048 | 84.6 |
"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 District of Columbia, a $110,970 salary is worth about $90,118 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $11,929 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $99,041 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $125,268, a $35,150 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $125,268 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $122,666 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $122,032 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $122,005 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $121,639 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $121,624 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $120,790 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $120,327 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $119,720 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $118,687 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $118,159 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $118,017 | 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).
Human Resources Specialists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a human resources specialists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a human resources specialists: a BLS median of $110,970 is worth $95,006 after the 2025 state income tax ($6,557) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 131.6 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 human resources specialists at $110,970, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 131.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a human resources specialists salary go least far?
- Arkansas ranks last of 51 states for a human resources specialists: a $55,010 BLS median is worth only $61,048 after tax and cost of living (index 84.6). 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
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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 human resources specialists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.