GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Personal Financial Advisors
Best States to Be a Personal Financial Advisors
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a personal financial advisors salary goes furthest in New York — a $166,400 BLS median worth $145,907 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 149.2).
Which US states are best for a personal financial advisors after cost of living and tax?
For a personal financial advisors, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New York #1: a $166,400 BLS median becomes $145,907 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 149.2). Hawaii ranks last ($65,319, index 66.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New York ranks #1 of 49 states for a personal financial advisors. Index 100 = the average state; 149.2 means pay goes 49.2% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPersonal Financial Advisors — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $166,400 | $8,936 | 107.9 | $145,907 | 149.2 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $128,720 | — | 88.6 | $145,305 | 148.6 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $158,570 | $7,911 | 108.8 | $138,467 | 141.6 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $119,430 | $5,178 | 94.1 | $121,422 | 124.2 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $129,720 | $5,633 | 103.6 | $119,763 | 122.5 |
| 6 | Delaware | $125,050 | $6,912 | 99.8 | $118,365 | 121.0 |
| 7 | Illinois | $120,130 | $5,805 | 100.0 | $114,373 | 117.0 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $125,670 | $6,064 | 105.8 | $113,096 | 115.6 |
| 9 | California | $130,330 | $7,999 | 110.7 | $110,487 | 113.0 |
| 10 | Oregon | $122,830 | $9,944 | 103.4 | $109,216 | 111.7 |
| 11 | Kansas | $102,530 | $4,921 | 90.1 | $108,372 | 110.8 |
| 12 | Vermont | $110,020 | $4,880 | 98.0 | $107,332 | 109.8 |
| 13 | Washington | $114,050 | — | 107.0 | $106,576 | 109.0 |
| 14 | Missouri | $99,930 | $3,816 | 90.8 | $105,833 | 108.2 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $105,200 | $3,230 | 97.6 | $104,508 | 106.9 |
| 16 | Texas | $99,160 | — | 97.1 | $102,167 | 104.5 |
| 17 | Iowa | $92,310 | $3,468 | 87.8 | $101,231 | 103.5 |
| 18 | Georgia | $101,450 | $4,821 | 96.3 | $100,349 | 102.6 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $93,280 | $3,754 | 90.1 | $99,359 | 101.6 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $96,880 | $3,576 | 94.3 | $98,917 | 101.1 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $94,270 | $3,342 | 92.2 | $98,607 | 100.8 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $102,660 | $5,492 | 98.6 | $98,527 | 100.7 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $96,330 | $4,365 | 93.7 | $98,097 | 100.3 |
| 24 | Montana | $97,450 | $4,611 | 94.6 | $98,091 | 100.3 |
| 25 | Florida | $100,970 | — | 103.4 | $97,637 | 99.8 |
| 26 | Virginia | $102,640 | $5,102 | 101.1 | $96,473 | 98.6 |
| 27 | Ohio | $90,990 | $1,720 | 92.8 | $96,223 | 98.4 |
| 28 | Idaho | $94,370 | $4,254 | 95.5 | $94,368 | 96.5 |
| 29 | Arizona | $96,950 | $1,949 | 100.7 | $94,362 | 96.5 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $96,780 | — | 104.2 | $92,910 | 95.0 |
| 31 | Nevada | $92,720 | — | 100.0 | $92,739 | 94.8 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $84,160 | — | 91.9 | $91,608 | 93.7 |
| 33 | Indiana | $87,710 | $2,601 | 93.3 | $91,192 | 93.2 |
| 34 | Maryland | $99,880 | $4,412 | 105.0 | $90,958 | 93.0 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $104,990 | $6,049 | 109.9 | $90,027 | 92.1 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $79,420 | $2,889 | 86.9 | $88,031 | 90.0 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $80,010 | $2,922 | 89.5 | $86,135 | 88.1 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $76,870 | $261 | 89.0 | $86,117 | 88.1 |
| 39 | Alabama | $77,990 | $3,635 | 88.8 | $83,712 | 85.6 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $77,490 | — | 92.7 | $83,600 | 85.5 |
| 41 | Colorado | $89,280 | $3,268 | 103.1 | $83,464 | 85.3 |
| 42 | Michigan | $77,930 | $3,066 | 96.2 | $77,808 | 79.6 |
| 43 | Alaska | $78,690 | — | 102.4 | $76,876 | 78.6 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $80,200 | $2,408 | 102.3 | $76,058 | 77.8 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $68,670 | $2,724 | 87.8 | $75,072 | 76.8 |
| 46 | Utah | $77,390 | $3,521 | 98.9 | $74,718 | 76.4 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $67,150 | $2,555 | 90.2 | $71,645 | 73.3 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $63,300 | $1,980 | 87.0 | $70,521 | 72.1 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $76,070 | $4,251 | 110.0 | $65,319 | 66.8 |
"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 New York, a $166,400 salary is worth about $137,380 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $18,138 (≈ top marginal 10.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $148,262 · BEA cost of living 107.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $187,840, a $50,460 gain over New York.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $187,840 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $183,938 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $182,988 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $182,948 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $182,399 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $182,376 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $181,126 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $180,431 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $179,521 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $177,972 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $177,180 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $176,966 | 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).
Personal Financial Advisors — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a personal financial advisors?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New York is the best state for a personal financial advisors: a BLS median of $166,400 is worth $145,907 after the 2025 state income tax ($8,936) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 107.9), an index of 149.2 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New York has the highest headline BLS median for a personal financial advisors at $166,400, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 49 on real pay (index 149.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a personal financial advisors salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 49 states for a personal financial advisors: a $76,070 BLS median is worth only $65,319 after tax and cost of living (index 66.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
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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 personal financial advisors is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.