GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Packers and Packagers, Hand
Best States to Be a Packers and Packagers, Hand
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a packers and packagers, hand salary goes furthest in Kansas — a $44,460 BLS median worth $47,496 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 132.4).
Which US states are best for a packers and packagers, hand after cost of living and tax?
For a packers and packagers, hand, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Kansas #1: a $44,460 BLS median becomes $47,496 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 132.4). Florida ranks last ($27,346, index 76.2). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Kansas ranks #1 of 51 states for a packers and packagers, hand. Index 100 = the average state; 132.4 means pay goes 32.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPackers and Packagers, Hand — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | $44,460 | $1,681 | 90.1 | $47,496 | 132.4 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $38,880 | $942 | 90.1 | $42,105 | 117.4 |
| 3 | Iowa | $37,470 | $1,384 | 87.8 | $41,118 | 114.6 |
| 4 | Alaska | $41,670 | — | 102.4 | $40,710 | 113.5 |
| 5 | Missouri | $37,670 | $890 | 90.8 | $40,500 | 112.9 |
| 6 | Ohio | $37,000 | $235 | 92.8 | $39,628 | 110.4 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $40,310 | $1,357 | 98.6 | $39,498 | 110.1 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $43,840 | $874 | 108.8 | $39,489 | 110.1 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $36,850 | $1,343 | 90.2 | $39,382 | 109.8 |
| 10 | Vermont | $39,440 | $902 | 98.0 | $39,341 | 109.6 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $35,980 | — | 91.9 | $39,164 | 109.2 |
| 12 | Indiana | $37,420 | $1,093 | 93.3 | $38,924 | 108.5 |
| 13 | Colorado | $40,730 | $1,132 | 103.1 | $38,425 | 107.1 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $34,520 | $1,102 | 87.8 | $38,043 | 106.0 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $33,930 | $1,115 | 86.9 | $37,746 | 105.2 |
| 16 | Idaho | $36,920 | $982 | 95.5 | $37,634 | 104.9 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $33,240 | $657 | 87.0 | $37,472 | 104.4 |
| 18 | Nevada | $37,400 | — | 100.0 | $37,408 | 104.3 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $36,010 | $825 | 94.1 | $37,393 | 104.2 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $36,960 | $1,135 | 97.6 | $36,717 | 102.3 |
| 21 | Washington | $39,220 | — | 107.0 | $36,650 | 102.1 |
| 22 | Maine | $36,330 | $938 | 97.0 | $36,467 | 101.6 |
| 23 | Arizona | $37,060 | $452 | 100.7 | $36,362 | 101.3 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $40,910 | $1,355 | 109.9 | $35,992 | 100.3 |
| 25 | Delaware | $37,290 | $1,393 | 99.8 | $35,966 | 100.2 |
| 26 | Montana | $34,960 | $938 | 94.6 | $35,947 | 100.2 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $34,360 | $918 | 94.3 | $35,453 | 98.8 |
| 28 | Michigan | $35,340 | $1,255 | 96.2 | $35,425 | 98.7 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $31,440 | — | 89.0 | $35,342 | 98.5 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $36,730 | $777 | 102.3 | $35,151 | 98.0 |
| 31 | Utah | $36,060 | $1,641 | 98.9 | $34,815 | 97.0 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $32,110 | — | 92.7 | $34,642 | 96.6 |
| 33 | Illinois | $36,090 | $1,645 | 100.0 | $34,459 | 96.0 |
| 34 | Alabama | $31,770 | $1,324 | 88.8 | $34,278 | 95.5 |
| 35 | Texas | $33,090 | — | 97.1 | $34,093 | 95.0 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $35,890 | $690 | 103.6 | $33,974 | 94.7 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $32,180 | $409 | 93.7 | $33,890 | 94.5 |
| 38 | Virginia | $35,000 | $1,213 | 101.1 | $33,418 | 93.1 |
| 39 | Georgia | $33,260 | $1,146 | 96.3 | $33,350 | 93.0 |
| 40 | California | $37,260 | $502 | 110.7 | $33,199 | 92.5 |
| 41 | New York | $37,260 | $1,444 | 107.9 | $33,187 | 92.5 |
| 42 | Maryland | $35,860 | $1,371 | 105.0 | $32,860 | 91.6 |
| 43 | Oregon | $36,190 | $2,363 | 103.4 | $32,727 | 91.2 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $28,760 | — | 88.6 | $32,466 | 90.5 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $35,930 | $1,293 | 110.0 | $31,502 | 87.8 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $28,740 | $724 | 89.5 | $31,304 | 87.2 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $34,200 | $1,490 | 105.8 | $30,929 | 86.2 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $27,710 | $456 | 88.2 | $30,897 | 86.1 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $28,070 | $325 | 92.2 | $30,089 | 83.9 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $30,700 | — | 104.2 | $29,472 | 82.1 |
| 51 | Florida | $28,280 | — | 103.4 | $27,346 | 76.2 |
"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 Kansas, a $44,460 salary is worth about $46,608 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,481 (≈ top marginal 5.58% (upper bound)) · take-home $41,979 · BEA cost of living 90.1 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $50,189, a $3,580 gain over Kansas.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $50,189 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $49,146 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $48,892 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $48,881 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $48,735 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $48,729 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $48,394 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $48,209 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $47,966 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $47,552 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $47,340 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $47,283 | 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).
Packers and Packagers, Hand — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a packers and packagers, hand?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Kansas is the best state for a packers and packagers, hand: a BLS median of $44,460 is worth $47,496 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,681) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 90.1), an index of 132.4 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Kansas has the highest headline BLS median for a packers and packagers, hand at $44,460, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 132.4). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a packers and packagers, hand salary go least far?
- Florida ranks last of 51 states for a packers and packagers, hand: a $28,280 BLS median is worth only $27,346 after tax and cost of living (index 76.2). 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 packers and packagers, hand is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.