GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
Best States to Be a Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a postmasters and mail superintendents salary goes furthest in Arkansas — a $97,880 BLS median worth $108,436 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 114.1).
Which US states are best for a postmasters and mail superintendents after cost of living and tax?
For a postmasters and mail superintendents, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Arkansas #1: a $97,880 BLS median becomes $108,436 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 114.1). Alaska ranks last ($57,972, index 61.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Arkansas ranks #1 of 50 states for a postmasters and mail superintendents. Index 100 = the average state; 114.1 means pay goes 14.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPostmasters and Mail Superintendents — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $97,880 | $3,609 | 86.9 | $108,436 | 114.1 |
| 2 | Tennessee | $99,170 | — | 91.9 | $107,946 | 113.5 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $96,550 | $2,522 | 88.2 | $106,600 | 112.1 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $95,270 | $3,387 | 87.0 | $105,670 | 111.2 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $98,570 | $3,812 | 90.2 | $105,101 | 110.6 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $96,080 | $4,026 | 87.8 | $104,794 | 110.2 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $96,260 | $3,705 | 89.5 | $103,417 | 108.8 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $91,540 | — | 88.6 | $103,335 | 108.7 |
| 9 | Ohio | $97,680 | $1,904 | 92.8 | $103,236 | 108.6 |
| 10 | Alabama | $95,740 | $4,522 | 88.8 | $102,696 | 108.0 |
| 11 | Indiana | $98,680 | $2,930 | 93.3 | $102,594 | 107.9 |
| 12 | Iowa | $93,160 | $3,500 | 87.8 | $102,163 | 107.5 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $91,040 | $538 | 89.0 | $101,735 | 107.0 |
| 14 | Missouri | $95,680 | $3,616 | 90.8 | $101,373 | 106.6 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $98,940 | $4,527 | 93.7 | $100,708 | 105.9 |
| 16 | Texas | $97,550 | — | 97.1 | $100,508 | 105.7 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $94,040 | $3,794 | 90.1 | $100,159 | 105.4 |
| 18 | Florida | $102,880 | — | 103.4 | $99,484 | 104.6 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $96,810 | $3,979 | 94.1 | $98,657 | 103.8 |
| 20 | Kansas | $93,080 | $4,394 | 90.1 | $98,465 | 103.6 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $96,410 | $3,556 | 94.3 | $98,440 | 103.5 |
| 22 | Michigan | $97,790 | $3,910 | 96.2 | $97,572 | 102.6 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $97,530 | $2,994 | 97.6 | $96,888 | 101.9 |
| 24 | Arizona | $99,050 | $2,001 | 100.7 | $96,396 | 101.4 |
| 25 | Georgia | $97,050 | $4,584 | 96.3 | $96,025 | 101.0 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $91,500 | $3,207 | 92.2 | $95,751 | 100.7 |
| 27 | Utah | $98,570 | $4,485 | 98.9 | $95,166 | 100.1 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $88,040 | — | 92.7 | $94,982 | 99.9 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $99,900 | $3,186 | 102.3 | $94,558 | 99.5 |
| 30 | Delaware | $98,550 | $5,163 | 99.8 | $93,566 | 98.4 |
| 31 | Idaho | $92,820 | $4,166 | 95.5 | $92,838 | 97.7 |
| 32 | Maine | $93,000 | $4,700 | 97.0 | $90,984 | 95.7 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $97,880 | $3,808 | 103.6 | $90,794 | 95.5 |
| 34 | Illinois | $94,970 | $4,560 | 100.0 | $90,448 | 95.1 |
| 35 | Nevada | $89,770 | — | 100.0 | $89,789 | 94.4 |
| 36 | Montana | $88,920 | $4,108 | 94.6 | $89,611 | 94.3 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $92,980 | — | 104.2 | $89,262 | 93.9 |
| 38 | Washington | $95,430 | — | 107.0 | $89,176 | 93.8 |
| 39 | Virginia | $94,790 | $4,651 | 101.1 | $89,155 | 93.8 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $101,100 | $4,250 | 108.8 | $89,012 | 93.6 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $92,410 | $4,795 | 98.6 | $88,840 | 93.5 |
| 42 | Vermont | $89,890 | $3,551 | 98.0 | $88,139 | 92.7 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $96,870 | $4,624 | 105.8 | $87,225 | 91.8 |
| 44 | Colorado | $93,000 | $3,432 | 103.1 | $86,915 | 91.4 |
| 45 | California | $101,150 | $5,285 | 110.7 | $86,583 | 91.1 |
| 46 | Maryland | $94,890 | $4,175 | 105.0 | $86,429 | 90.9 |
| 47 | New York | $97,640 | $4,810 | 107.9 | $86,016 | 90.5 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $99,070 | $5,999 | 110.0 | $84,648 | 89.0 |
| 49 | Oregon | $93,180 | $7,349 | 103.4 | $83,040 | 87.3 |
| 50 | Alaska | $59,340 | — | 102.4 | $57,972 | 61.0 |
"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 $97,880 salary is worth about $108,196 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $3,817 (≈ top marginal 3.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $94,063 · BEA cost of living 86.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $110,491, a $2,295 gain over Arkansas.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $110,491 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $108,196 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $107,637 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $107,614 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $107,291 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $107,278 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $106,542 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $106,133 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $105,598 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $104,687 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $104,221 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $104,095 | 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).
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a postmasters and mail superintendents?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Arkansas is the best state for a postmasters and mail superintendents: a BLS median of $97,880 is worth $108,436 after the 2025 state income tax ($3,609) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 86.9), an index of 114.1 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Florida has the highest headline BLS median for a postmasters and mail superintendents at $102,880, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #18 of 50 on real pay (index 104.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a postmasters and mail superintendents salary go least far?
- Alaska ranks last of 50 states for a postmasters and mail superintendents: a $59,340 BLS median is worth only $57,972 after tax and cost of living (index 61.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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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 postmasters and mail superintendents is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.