GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians
Best States to Be a Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a motorboat mechanics and service technicians salary goes furthest in Vermont — a $72,350 BLS median worth $71,415 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 131.2).
Which US states are best for a motorboat mechanics and service technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a motorboat mechanics and service technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Vermont #1: a $72,350 BLS median becomes $71,415 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 131.2). New Mexico ranks last ($38,889, index 71.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Vermont ranks #1 of 49 states for a motorboat mechanics and service technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 131.2 means pay goes 31.2% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedMotorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $72,350 | $2,393 | 98.0 | $71,415 | 131.2 |
| 2 | Alaska | $72,520 | — | 102.4 | $70,849 | 130.1 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $60,990 | — | 89.0 | $68,560 | 125.9 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $74,160 | $3,488 | 105.8 | $66,825 | 122.7 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $77,740 | $4,378 | 110.0 | $66,722 | 122.6 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $71,880 | $2,424 | 108.8 | $63,836 | 117.3 |
| 7 | Virginia | $63,450 | $2,849 | 101.1 | $59,940 | 110.1 |
| 8 | Maine | $60,510 | $2,470 | 97.0 | $59,805 | 109.8 |
| 9 | Oregon | $66,460 | $5,011 | 103.4 | $59,451 | 109.2 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $63,480 | $1,932 | 103.6 | $59,404 | 109.1 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $61,010 | $2,660 | 98.6 | $59,166 | 108.7 |
| 12 | Washington | $63,020 | — | 107.0 | $58,890 | 108.2 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $53,080 | $1,217 | 88.2 | $58,796 | 108.0 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $56,920 | $1,865 | 94.1 | $58,511 | 107.5 |
| 15 | Arizona | $59,390 | $1,010 | 100.7 | $57,988 | 106.5 |
| 16 | Delaware | $60,230 | $2,666 | 99.8 | $57,675 | 105.9 |
| 17 | Ohio | $52,450 | $660 | 92.8 | $55,824 | 102.5 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $58,470 | $1,593 | 102.3 | $55,609 | 102.1 |
| 19 | Maryland | $60,310 | $2,532 | 105.0 | $55,048 | 101.1 |
| 20 | Texas | $53,290 | — | 97.1 | $54,906 | 100.9 |
| 21 | Iowa | $49,930 | $1,857 | 87.8 | $54,776 | 100.6 |
| 22 | California | $62,330 | $1,854 | 110.7 | $54,620 | 100.3 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $50,920 | $1,906 | 90.2 | $54,364 | 99.9 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $56,160 | — | 104.2 | $53,914 | 99.0 |
| 25 | Florida | $55,680 | — | 103.4 | $53,842 | 98.9 |
| 26 | Colorado | $57,050 | $1,850 | 103.1 | $53,565 | 98.4 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $49,120 | — | 91.9 | $53,467 | 98.2 |
| 28 | Indiana | $51,200 | $1,506 | 93.3 | $53,246 | 97.8 |
| 29 | Montana | $52,160 | $1,939 | 94.6 | $53,062 | 97.5 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $46,840 | — | 88.6 | $52,875 | 97.1 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $51,430 | $1,644 | 94.3 | $52,781 | 96.9 |
| 32 | New York | $58,940 | $2,637 | 107.9 | $52,171 | 95.8 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $51,520 | $1,582 | 97.6 | $51,181 | 94.0 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $45,860 | $1,580 | 86.9 | $50,933 | 93.6 |
| 35 | Kansas | $47,720 | $1,863 | 90.1 | $50,914 | 93.5 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $49,080 | $1,436 | 93.7 | $50,821 | 93.3 |
| 37 | Georgia | $49,850 | $2,040 | 96.3 | $49,650 | 91.2 |
| 38 | Nevada | $49,630 | — | 100.0 | $49,640 | 91.2 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $43,800 | $1,122 | 87.0 | $49,082 | 90.2 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $45,400 | $1,269 | 90.1 | $48,979 | 90.0 |
| 41 | Alabama | $45,250 | $1,998 | 88.8 | $48,695 | 89.4 |
| 42 | Idaho | $47,740 | $1,598 | 95.5 | $48,319 | 88.8 |
| 43 | Michigan | $47,900 | $1,789 | 96.2 | $47,924 | 88.0 |
| 44 | Missouri | $43,580 | $1,167 | 90.8 | $46,701 | 85.8 |
| 45 | Illinois | $47,840 | $2,227 | 100.0 | $45,632 | 83.8 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,470 | $2,114 | 98.9 | $44,865 | 82.4 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $39,920 | $1,359 | 87.8 | $43,898 | 80.6 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $36,480 | $982 | 89.5 | $39,664 | 72.9 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $36,510 | $650 | 92.2 | $38,889 | 71.4 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 49 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 Vermont, a $72,350 salary is worth about $67,396 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $6,331 (≈ top marginal 8.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $66,019 · BEA cost of living 98.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $81,672, a $14,276 gain over Vermont.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $81,672 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $79,976 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $79,562 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $79,545 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $79,306 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $79,296 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $78,753 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $78,451 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $78,055 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $77,381 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $77,037 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $76,944 | 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).
Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a motorboat mechanics and service technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Vermont is the best state for a motorboat mechanics and service technicians: a BLS median of $72,350 is worth $71,415 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,393) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 98.0), an index of 131.2 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Hawaii has the highest headline BLS median for a motorboat mechanics and service technicians at $77,740, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 49 on real pay (index 122.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a motorboat mechanics and service technicians salary go least far?
- New Mexico ranks last of 49 states for a motorboat mechanics and service technicians: a $36,510 BLS median is worth only $38,889 after tax and cost of living (index 71.4). 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 motorboat mechanics and service technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.