GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
Best States to Be a Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $60,400 BLS median worth $52,637 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 164.4).
Which US states are best for a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers after cost of living and tax?
For a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $60,400 BLS median becomes $52,637 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 164.4). Louisiana ranks last ($24,882, index 77.7). 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 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers. Index 100 = the average state; 164.4 means pay goes 64.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedLifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $60,400 | $2,551 | 109.9 | $52,637 | 164.4 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $52,630 | $2,473 | 110.0 | $45,617 | 142.5 |
| 3 | Montana | $37,750 | $1,089 | 94.6 | $38,735 | 121.0 |
| 4 | California | $42,720 | $721 | 110.7 | $37,933 | 118.5 |
| 5 | Vermont | $36,030 | $788 | 98.0 | $35,976 | 112.4 |
| 6 | Washington | $37,770 | — | 107.0 | $35,295 | 110.2 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $30,990 | — | 88.6 | $34,983 | 109.3 |
| 8 | Arizona | $35,380 | $410 | 100.7 | $34,735 | 108.5 |
| 9 | Maine | $34,320 | $822 | 97.0 | $34,516 | 107.8 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $35,770 | $741 | 102.3 | $34,248 | 107.0 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $35,960 | $693 | 103.6 | $34,038 | 106.3 |
| 12 | Florida | $35,040 | — | 103.4 | $33,883 | 105.8 |
| 13 | Alaska | $34,540 | — | 102.4 | $33,744 | 105.4 |
| 14 | Colorado | $35,640 | $908 | 103.1 | $33,703 | 105.3 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $36,650 | $1,613 | 105.8 | $33,130 | 103.5 |
| 16 | New York | $36,590 | $1,407 | 107.9 | $32,600 | 101.8 |
| 17 | Illinois | $33,710 | $1,528 | 100.0 | $32,196 | 100.6 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $28,430 | — | 89.0 | $31,959 | 99.8 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $29,100 | $506 | 90.1 | $31,735 | 99.1 |
| 20 | Oregon | $35,030 | $2,261 | 103.4 | $31,703 | 99.0 |
| 21 | Missouri | $29,260 | $494 | 90.8 | $31,674 | 98.9 |
| 22 | Maryland | $34,520 | $1,307 | 105.0 | $31,644 | 98.8 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $34,760 | $521 | 108.8 | $31,468 | 98.3 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $31,870 | $905 | 98.6 | $31,398 | 98.1 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $29,030 | — | 92.7 | $31,319 | 97.8 |
| 26 | Georgia | $30,880 | $1,018 | 96.3 | $31,012 | 96.9 |
| 27 | Delaware | $31,930 | $1,095 | 99.8 | $30,894 | 96.5 |
| 28 | Nevada | $30,830 | — | 100.0 | $30,836 | 96.3 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $32,100 | — | 104.2 | $30,816 | 96.2 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $28,200 | — | 91.9 | $30,696 | 95.9 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $28,590 | $341 | 92.2 | $30,634 | 95.7 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $28,520 | $1,010 | 90.2 | $30,513 | 95.3 |
| 33 | Alabama | $28,130 | $1,142 | 88.8 | $30,385 | 94.9 |
| 34 | Texas | $29,450 | — | 97.1 | $30,343 | 94.8 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $27,000 | $845 | 86.9 | $30,086 | 94.0 |
| 36 | Ohio | $27,770 | — | 92.8 | $29,933 | 93.5 |
| 37 | Michigan | $29,760 | $1,018 | 96.2 | $29,872 | 93.3 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $28,570 | $501 | 94.1 | $29,831 | 93.2 |
| 39 | Indiana | $28,640 | $829 | 93.3 | $29,799 | 93.1 |
| 40 | Idaho | $28,770 | $518 | 95.5 | $29,585 | 92.4 |
| 41 | Kansas | $27,220 | $752 | 90.1 | $29,387 | 91.8 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $29,480 | $905 | 97.6 | $29,286 | 91.5 |
| 43 | Virginia | $30,070 | $929 | 101.1 | $28,822 | 90.0 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $27,310 | $619 | 94.3 | $28,297 | 88.4 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $25,250 | $662 | 87.8 | $27,991 | 87.4 |
| 46 | Iowa | $25,460 | $927 | 87.8 | $27,953 | 87.3 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $24,440 | $270 | 87.0 | $27,796 | 86.8 |
| 48 | Utah | $28,720 | $1,307 | 98.9 | $27,728 | 86.6 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $26,210 | $230 | 93.7 | $27,713 | 86.6 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $24,670 | $597 | 89.5 | $26,898 | 84.0 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $22,240 | $292 | 88.2 | $24,882 | 77.7 |
"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 $60,400 salary is worth about $49,051 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $6,493 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $53,907 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $68,182, a $19,132 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $68,182 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $66,766 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $66,421 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $66,406 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $66,207 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $66,199 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $65,745 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $65,493 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $65,163 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $64,600 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $64,313 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $64,235 | 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).
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers: a BLS median of $60,400 is worth $52,637 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,551) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 164.4 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 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers at $60,400, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 164.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 51 states for a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers: a $22,240 BLS median is worth only $24,882 after tax and cost of living (index 77.7). 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 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.