GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Occupational Therapy Assistants
Best States to Be a Occupational Therapy Assistants
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a occupational therapy assistants salary goes furthest in Arkansas — a $78,940 BLS median worth $87,500 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 127.0).
Which US states are best for a occupational therapy assistants after cost of living and tax?
For a occupational therapy assistants, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Arkansas #1: a $78,940 BLS median becomes $87,500 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 127.0). Alaska ranks last ($52,296, index 75.9). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Arkansas ranks #1 of 50 states for a occupational therapy assistants. Index 100 = the average state; 127.0 means pay goes 27.0% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedOccupational Therapy Assistants — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $78,940 | $2,870 | 86.9 | $87,500 | 127.0 |
| 2 | Texas | $81,500 | — | 97.1 | $83,971 | 121.9 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $77,020 | $2,506 | 92.2 | $80,807 | 117.3 |
| 4 | Nevada | $79,510 | — | 100.0 | $79,527 | 115.4 |
| 5 | South Carolina | $73,740 | $2,965 | 93.7 | $75,495 | 109.6 |
| 6 | Georgia | $75,920 | $3,445 | 96.3 | $75,265 | 109.3 |
| 7 | Delaware | $78,640 | $3,849 | 99.8 | $74,935 | 108.8 |
| 8 | Maryland | $82,010 | $3,563 | 105.0 | $74,741 | 108.5 |
| 9 | Montana | $72,800 | $3,157 | 94.6 | $73,583 | 106.8 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $66,090 | $1,608 | 88.2 | $73,103 | 106.1 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $66,520 | $2,622 | 87.8 | $72,741 | 105.6 |
| 12 | Washington | $77,590 | — | 107.0 | $72,505 | 105.3 |
| 13 | Arizona | $73,490 | $1,362 | 100.7 | $71,643 | 104.0 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $71,590 | $2,198 | 97.6 | $71,119 | 103.2 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $69,390 | $2,407 | 94.3 | $71,012 | 103.1 |
| 16 | California | $81,770 | $3,483 | 110.7 | $70,707 | 102.6 |
| 17 | Virginia | $74,960 | $3,510 | 101.1 | $70,669 | 102.6 |
| 18 | Colorado | $75,340 | $2,655 | 103.1 | $70,532 | 102.4 |
| 19 | Iowa | $64,140 | $2,397 | 87.8 | $70,352 | 102.1 |
| 20 | Missouri | $66,070 | $2,224 | 90.8 | $70,301 | 102.1 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $65,230 | $2,478 | 90.2 | $69,601 | 101.0 |
| 22 | Indiana | $66,660 | $1,970 | 93.3 | $69,314 | 100.6 |
| 23 | Florida | $71,630 | — | 103.4 | $69,265 | 100.6 |
| 24 | Kansas | $65,010 | $2,828 | 90.1 | $69,039 | 100.2 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $61,650 | $1,907 | 87.0 | $68,707 | 99.7 |
| 26 | Oregon | $76,850 | $5,920 | 103.4 | $68,623 | 99.6 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $60,970 | — | 89.0 | $68,537 | 99.5 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $62,420 | — | 91.9 | $67,944 | 98.6 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $72,780 | $2,428 | 103.6 | $67,901 | 98.6 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $62,750 | — | 92.7 | $67,698 | 98.3 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $63,180 | $2,189 | 90.1 | $67,690 | 98.3 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $75,040 | $3,532 | 105.8 | $67,615 | 98.2 |
| 33 | Alabama | $62,250 | $2,848 | 88.8 | $66,877 | 97.1 |
| 34 | Ohio | $62,700 | $942 | 92.8 | $66,568 | 96.6 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $74,960 | $2,594 | 108.8 | $66,510 | 96.6 |
| 36 | Idaho | $65,330 | $2,600 | 95.5 | $65,690 | 95.4 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $60,370 | $1,981 | 89.5 | $65,241 | 94.7 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $67,790 | — | 104.2 | $65,079 | 94.5 |
| 39 | Utah | $66,080 | $3,007 | 98.9 | $63,798 | 92.6 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $56,180 | — | 88.6 | $63,419 | 92.1 |
| 41 | Maine | $64,270 | $2,724 | 97.0 | $63,417 | 92.1 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $66,710 | $1,902 | 102.3 | $63,364 | 92.0 |
| 43 | Michigan | $63,260 | $2,442 | 96.2 | $63,209 | 91.8 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $64,920 | $2,926 | 98.6 | $62,861 | 91.3 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $72,710 | $3,996 | 110.0 | $62,495 | 90.7 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $59,960 | $2,026 | 94.1 | $61,570 | 89.4 |
| 47 | Illinois | $64,120 | $3,033 | 100.0 | $61,113 | 88.7 |
| 48 | New York | $68,530 | $3,164 | 107.9 | $60,568 | 87.9 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | $66,390 | $2,940 | 109.9 | $57,733 | 83.8 |
| 50 | Alaska | $53,530 | — | 102.4 | $52,296 | 75.9 |
"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 Arkansas, a $78,940 salary is worth about $87,260 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $3,079 (≈ top marginal 3.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $75,861 · BEA cost of living 86.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $89,111, a $1,851 gain over Arkansas.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $89,111 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $87,260 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $86,809 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $86,790 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $86,530 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $86,519 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $85,926 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $85,596 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $85,165 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $84,430 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $84,054 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $83,953 | 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).
Occupational Therapy Assistants — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a occupational therapy assistants?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Arkansas is the best state for a occupational therapy assistants: a BLS median of $78,940 is worth $87,500 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,870) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 86.9), an index of 127.0 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Maryland has the highest headline BLS median for a occupational therapy assistants at $82,010, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #8 of 50 on real pay (index 108.5). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a occupational therapy assistants salary go least far?
- Alaska ranks last of 50 states for a occupational therapy assistants: a $53,530 BLS median is worth only $52,296 after tax and cost of living (index 75.9). 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 occupational therapy assistants is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.