GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Power Plant Operators
Best States to Be a Power Plant Operators
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a power plant operators salary goes furthest in North Dakota — a $122,160 BLS median worth $136,035 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 134.9).
Which US states are best for a power plant operators after cost of living and tax?
For a power plant operators, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks North Dakota #1: a $122,160 BLS median becomes $136,035 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 134.9). Wisconsin ranks last ($67,729, index 67.2). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
North Dakota ranks #1 of 49 states for a power plant operators. Index 100 = the average state; 134.9 means pay goes 34.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPower Plant Operators — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $122,160 | $1,144 | 89.0 | $136,035 | 134.9 |
| 2 | Nevada | $131,400 | — | 100.0 | $131,428 | 130.3 |
| 3 | Tennessee | $115,920 | — | 91.9 | $126,178 | 125.1 |
| 4 | Idaho | $124,440 | $5,966 | 95.5 | $124,064 | 123.0 |
| 5 | Washington | $131,620 | — | 107.0 | $122,994 | 121.9 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $131,370 | $6,178 | 108.8 | $115,061 | 114.1 |
| 7 | Alabama | $107,080 | $5,089 | 88.8 | $114,825 | 113.9 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $102,400 | $3,700 | 87.0 | $113,509 | 112.5 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $101,170 | $2,660 | 88.2 | $111,680 | 110.7 |
| 10 | Indiana | $107,000 | $3,180 | 93.3 | $111,241 | 110.3 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $108,300 | $4,061 | 94.3 | $110,509 | 109.6 |
| 12 | Iowa | $100,500 | $3,779 | 87.8 | $110,208 | 109.3 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $105,510 | $3,893 | 92.2 | $110,199 | 109.3 |
| 14 | Ohio | $104,160 | $2,095 | 92.8 | $110,014 | 109.1 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $97,760 | $3,604 | 86.9 | $108,304 | 107.4 |
| 16 | Missouri | $101,900 | $3,908 | 90.8 | $107,900 | 107.0 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $99,200 | — | 92.7 | $107,022 | 106.1 |
| 18 | Montana | $106,040 | $5,118 | 94.6 | $106,632 | 105.7 |
| 19 | Georgia | $107,580 | $5,152 | 96.3 | $106,371 | 105.5 |
| 20 | Texas | $102,510 | — | 97.1 | $105,618 | 104.7 |
| 21 | Michigan | $105,820 | $4,251 | 96.2 | $105,563 | 104.7 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $98,210 | $4,011 | 90.1 | $104,546 | 103.7 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $97,210 | $3,751 | 89.5 | $104,427 | 103.5 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $121,700 | $7,719 | 110.0 | $103,665 | 102.8 |
| 25 | Utah | $107,120 | $4,874 | 98.9 | $103,421 | 102.5 |
| 26 | Maryland | $111,260 | $4,966 | 105.0 | $101,272 | 100.4 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $93,400 | $3,605 | 90.2 | $99,596 | 98.8 |
| 28 | Illinois | $104,440 | $5,029 | 100.0 | $99,453 | 98.6 |
| 29 | Delaware | $103,010 | $5,458 | 99.8 | $97,740 | 96.9 |
| 30 | Oregon | $109,830 | $8,806 | 103.4 | $97,739 | 96.9 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $88,590 | $3,670 | 87.8 | $96,672 | 95.9 |
| 32 | Colorado | $102,780 | $3,862 | 103.1 | $95,988 | 95.2 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $95,800 | $2,941 | 97.6 | $95,170 | 94.4 |
| 34 | New York | $106,990 | $5,371 | 107.9 | $94,160 | 93.4 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $98,050 | $3,098 | 102.3 | $92,835 | 92.0 |
| 36 | Florida | $94,290 | — | 103.4 | $91,177 | 90.4 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $94,390 | $4,930 | 98.6 | $90,711 | 89.9 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $97,460 | $3,785 | 103.6 | $90,411 | 89.6 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $100,140 | $4,787 | 105.8 | $90,162 | 89.4 |
| 40 | California | $105,210 | $5,663 | 110.7 | $89,909 | 89.1 |
| 41 | Alaska | $88,870 | — | 102.4 | $86,822 | 86.1 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,980 | $3,663 | 90.1 | $84,732 | 84.0 |
| 43 | Arizona | $84,970 | $1,649 | 100.7 | $82,760 | 82.1 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $79,900 | $3,346 | 93.7 | $81,658 | 81.0 |
| 45 | Maine | $81,060 | $3,857 | 97.0 | $79,550 | 78.9 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $81,070 | — | 104.2 | $77,828 | 77.2 |
| 47 | Vermont | $78,240 | $2,782 | 98.0 | $77,031 | 76.4 |
| 48 | Virginia | $73,640 | $3,435 | 101.1 | $69,439 | 68.8 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $66,080 | $2,350 | 94.1 | $67,729 | 67.2 |
"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 North Dakota, a $122,160 salary is worth about $133,889 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $3,054 (≈ top marginal 2.50% (upper bound)) · take-home $119,106 · BEA cost of living 89.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $137,900, a $4,011 gain over North Dakota.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $137,900 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $135,035 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $134,338 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $134,308 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $133,905 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $133,889 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $132,971 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $132,461 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $131,793 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $130,655 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $130,074 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $129,917 | 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).
Power Plant Operators — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a power plant operators?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, North Dakota is the best state for a power plant operators: a BLS median of $122,160 is worth $136,035 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,144) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 89.0), an index of 134.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Washington has the highest headline BLS median for a power plant operators at $131,620, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 49 on real pay (index 121.9). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a power plant operators salary go least far?
- Wisconsin ranks last of 49 states for a power plant operators: a $66,080 BLS median is worth only $67,729 after tax and cost of living (index 67.2). 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 power plant operators is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.