GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Medical Transcriptionists
Best States to Be a Medical Transcriptionists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a medical transcriptionists salary goes furthest in South Dakota — a $46,070 BLS median worth $52,006 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 127.6).
Which US states are best for a medical transcriptionists after cost of living and tax?
For a medical transcriptionists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks South Dakota #1: a $46,070 BLS median becomes $52,006 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 127.6). Georgia ranks last ($28,507, index 69.9). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
South Dakota ranks #1 of 50 states for a medical transcriptionists. Index 100 = the average state; 127.6 means pay goes 27.6% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedMedical Transcriptionists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $46,070 | — | 88.6 | $52,006 | 127.6 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $48,100 | — | 92.7 | $51,893 | 127.3 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $49,150 | $1,453 | 94.1 | $50,691 | 124.4 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $44,660 | — | 89.0 | $50,203 | 123.2 |
| 5 | Nebraska | $45,880 | $1,293 | 90.1 | $49,485 | 121.4 |
| 6 | Iowa | $45,010 | $1,670 | 87.8 | $49,383 | 121.2 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $50,030 | $1,913 | 98.6 | $48,790 | 119.7 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $44,720 | — | 91.9 | $48,677 | 119.4 |
| 9 | Maine | $48,600 | $1,666 | 97.0 | $48,361 | 118.7 |
| 10 | Alaska | $48,360 | — | 102.4 | $47,245 | 115.9 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $48,190 | $1,244 | 103.6 | $45,311 | 111.2 |
| 12 | Texas | $42,900 | — | 97.1 | $44,201 | 108.5 |
| 13 | Illinois | $45,490 | $2,111 | 100.0 | $43,398 | 106.5 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $38,600 | $893 | 87.0 | $43,365 | 106.4 |
| 15 | Indiana | $41,400 | $1,212 | 93.3 | $43,061 | 105.7 |
| 16 | Montana | $41,340 | $1,301 | 94.6 | $42,305 | 103.8 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $38,040 | $766 | 88.2 | $42,257 | 103.7 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $39,000 | $1,429 | 90.2 | $41,672 | 102.2 |
| 19 | Oregon | $46,280 | $3,246 | 103.4 | $41,635 | 102.2 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $41,510 | $1,274 | 97.6 | $41,237 | 101.2 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $37,440 | $1,014 | 89.5 | $40,701 | 99.9 |
| 22 | Florida | $42,050 | — | 103.4 | $40,662 | 99.8 |
| 23 | Colorado | $43,080 | $1,236 | 103.1 | $40,605 | 99.6 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $39,300 | $1,128 | 94.3 | $40,468 | 99.3 |
| 25 | Missouri | $37,480 | $881 | 90.8 | $40,300 | 98.9 |
| 26 | California | $45,050 | $814 | 110.7 | $39,953 | 98.0 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $37,480 | $692 | 92.2 | $39,895 | 97.9 |
| 28 | Ohio | $37,060 | $237 | 92.8 | $39,691 | 97.4 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $45,110 | $1,607 | 109.9 | $39,584 | 97.1 |
| 30 | Nevada | $39,350 | — | 100.0 | $39,358 | 96.6 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $35,100 | $1,160 | 86.9 | $39,039 | 95.8 |
| 32 | Idaho | $38,140 | $1,052 | 95.5 | $38,838 | 95.3 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $44,310 | $1,874 | 110.0 | $38,595 | 94.7 |
| 34 | New York | $43,260 | $1,774 | 107.9 | $38,441 | 94.3 |
| 35 | Utah | $39,630 | $1,803 | 98.9 | $38,261 | 93.9 |
| 36 | Alabama | $35,340 | $1,502 | 88.8 | $38,096 | 93.5 |
| 37 | Kansas | $35,390 | $1,177 | 90.1 | $37,986 | 93.2 |
| 38 | Michigan | $37,280 | $1,338 | 96.2 | $37,355 | 91.7 |
| 39 | Maryland | $39,900 | $1,563 | 105.0 | $36,526 | 89.6 |
| 40 | Washington | $38,690 | — | 107.0 | $36,154 | 88.7 |
| 41 | Arizona | $36,550 | $439 | 100.7 | $35,868 | 88.0 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $33,870 | $493 | 93.7 | $35,603 | 87.4 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $39,020 | $648 | 108.8 | $35,267 | 86.5 |
| 44 | Virginia | $35,130 | $1,220 | 101.1 | $33,539 | 82.3 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $36,910 | $1,626 | 105.8 | $33,364 | 81.9 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $34,790 | $705 | 102.3 | $33,326 | 81.8 |
| 47 | Vermont | $33,030 | $688 | 98.0 | $33,016 | 81.0 |
| 48 | Delaware | $34,070 | $1,214 | 99.8 | $32,919 | 80.8 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $27,740 | $780 | 87.8 | $30,691 | 75.3 |
| 50 | Georgia | $28,330 | $880 | 96.3 | $28,507 | 69.9 |
"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 South Dakota, a $46,070 salary is worth about $52,006 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $46,070 · BEA cost of living 88.6 (US = 100).
That makes South Dakota the state where this salary goes furthest.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $52,006 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $50,926 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $50,663 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $50,651 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $50,499 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $50,493 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $50,147 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $49,955 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $49,703 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $49,274 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $49,055 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $48,995 | 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).
Medical Transcriptionists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a medical transcriptionists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, South Dakota is the best state for a medical transcriptionists: a BLS median of $46,070 is worth $52,006 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 88.6), an index of 127.6 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Minnesota has the highest headline BLS median for a medical transcriptionists at $50,030, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #7 of 50 on real pay (index 119.7). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a medical transcriptionists salary go least far?
- Georgia ranks last of 50 states for a medical transcriptionists: a $28,330 BLS median is worth only $28,507 after tax and cost of living (index 69.9). 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 medical transcriptionists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.