GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other
Best States to Be a Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a motor vehicle operators, all other salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $74,710 BLS median worth $72,988 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 177.1).
Which US states are best for a motor vehicle operators, all other after cost of living and tax?
For a motor vehicle operators, all other, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $74,710 BLS median becomes $72,988 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 177.1). Nevada ranks last ($25,295, index 61.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 51 states for a motor vehicle operators, all other. Index 100 = the average state; 177.1 means pay goes 77.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedMotor Vehicle Operators, All Other — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $74,710 | — | 102.4 | $72,988 | 177.1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $57,550 | $2,196 | 87.8 | $63,015 | 152.9 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $53,790 | — | 88.6 | $60,721 | 147.3 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $69,870 | $3,167 | 109.9 | $60,694 | 147.3 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $54,270 | $1,437 | 92.2 | $57,295 | 139.0 |
| 6 | Alabama | $52,100 | $2,340 | 88.8 | $56,022 | 135.9 |
| 7 | Washington | $59,730 | — | 107.0 | $55,816 | 135.4 |
| 8 | Arizona | $55,680 | $917 | 100.7 | $54,395 | 132.0 |
| 9 | Utah | $56,140 | $2,554 | 98.9 | $54,201 | 131.5 |
| 10 | Kansas | $49,880 | $1,984 | 90.1 | $53,178 | 129.0 |
| 11 | Iowa | $48,300 | $1,795 | 87.8 | $52,989 | 128.6 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $61,110 | $3,114 | 110.0 | $52,747 | 128.0 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $48,530 | — | 92.7 | $52,357 | 127.0 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $46,500 | $1,241 | 87.0 | $52,050 | 126.3 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $50,680 | $1,252 | 108.8 | $45,428 | 110.2 |
| 16 | Montana | $41,860 | $1,332 | 94.6 | $42,822 | 103.9 |
| 17 | Illinois | $44,810 | $2,077 | 100.0 | $42,751 | 103.7 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $37,730 | $757 | 88.2 | $41,916 | 101.7 |
| 19 | Idaho | $41,190 | $1,225 | 95.5 | $41,850 | 101.5 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $42,530 | $995 | 102.3 | $40,609 | 98.5 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $36,090 | $1,199 | 86.9 | $40,134 | 97.4 |
| 22 | California | $45,050 | $814 | 110.7 | $39,953 | 96.9 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $34,230 | — | 89.0 | $38,478 | 93.4 |
| 24 | Texas | $36,340 | — | 97.1 | $37,442 | 90.8 |
| 25 | Delaware | $38,790 | $1,476 | 99.8 | $37,386 | 90.7 |
| 26 | Colorado | $39,190 | $1,064 | 103.1 | $36,997 | 89.8 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $33,550 | — | 91.9 | $36,519 | 88.6 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $33,280 | $661 | 90.1 | $36,202 | 87.8 |
| 29 | Georgia | $36,120 | $1,300 | 96.3 | $36,160 | 87.7 |
| 30 | Florida | $37,330 | — | 103.4 | $36,098 | 87.6 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $37,440 | $760 | 103.6 | $35,402 | 85.9 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $33,970 | $735 | 94.1 | $35,321 | 85.7 |
| 33 | Missouri | $32,330 | $639 | 90.8 | $34,896 | 84.7 |
| 34 | Virginia | $36,520 | $1,300 | 101.1 | $34,835 | 84.5 |
| 35 | New York | $38,950 | $1,537 | 107.9 | $34,667 | 84.1 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $31,790 | $826 | 89.5 | $34,598 | 83.9 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $34,670 | $1,055 | 98.6 | $34,085 | 82.7 |
| 38 | Michigan | $33,990 | $1,198 | 96.2 | $34,081 | 82.7 |
| 39 | Maine | $33,690 | $785 | 97.0 | $33,905 | 82.3 |
| 40 | Ohio | $31,040 | $71 | 92.8 | $33,381 | 81.0 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $36,540 | $1,607 | 105.8 | $33,031 | 80.1 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $32,790 | $1,007 | 97.6 | $32,574 | 79.0 |
| 43 | Maryland | $35,440 | $1,351 | 105.0 | $32,479 | 78.8 |
| 44 | Oregon | $34,870 | $2,247 | 103.4 | $31,562 | 76.6 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | $31,770 | — | 104.2 | $30,500 | 74.0 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $29,000 | $691 | 94.3 | $30,012 | 72.8 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $27,840 | $278 | 93.7 | $29,399 | 71.3 |
| 48 | Vermont | $29,290 | $562 | 98.0 | $29,326 | 71.1 |
| 49 | Indiana | $26,920 | $778 | 93.3 | $28,011 | 68.0 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $23,870 | $824 | 90.2 | $25,562 | 62.0 |
| 51 | Nevada | $25,290 | — | 100.0 | $25,295 | 61.4 |
"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 Alaska, a $74,710 salary is worth about $72,988 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $74,710 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $84,336, a $11,348 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $84,336 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $82,584 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $82,158 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $82,140 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $81,893 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $81,883 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $81,321 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $81,010 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $80,601 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $79,906 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $79,550 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $79,454 | 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).
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a motor vehicle operators, all other?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a motor vehicle operators, all other: a BLS median of $74,710 is worth $72,988 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 177.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Alaska has the highest headline BLS median for a motor vehicle operators, all other at $74,710, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 177.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a motor vehicle operators, all other salary go least far?
- Nevada ranks last of 51 states for a motor vehicle operators, all other: a $25,290 BLS median is worth only $25,295 after tax and cost of living (index 61.4). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
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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 motor vehicle operators, all other is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.