GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Protective Service Workers, All Other
Best States to Be a Protective Service Workers, All Other
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a protective service workers, all other salary goes furthest in Alabama — a $86,350 BLS median worth $92,653 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 189.4).
Which US states are best for a protective service workers, all other after cost of living and tax?
For a protective service workers, all other, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alabama #1: a $86,350 BLS median becomes $92,653 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 189.4). Virginia ranks last ($33,633, index 68.7). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alabama ranks #1 of 51 states for a protective service workers, all other. Index 100 = the average state; 189.4 means pay goes 89.4% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedProtective Service Workers, All Other — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $86,350 | $4,053 | 88.8 | $92,653 | 189.4 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $88,960 | — | 104.2 | $85,403 | 174.5 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $88,570 | $4,653 | 109.9 | $76,356 | 156.0 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $64,940 | $1,938 | 92.2 | $68,323 | 139.6 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $53,460 | — | 89.0 | $60,095 | 122.8 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $57,620 | $1,902 | 94.1 | $59,215 | 121.0 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $52,360 | $1,949 | 87.8 | $57,387 | 117.3 |
| 8 | Vermont | $57,490 | $1,507 | 98.0 | $57,150 | 116.8 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $49,800 | $1,386 | 87.0 | $55,678 | 113.8 |
| 10 | Alaska | $56,120 | — | 102.4 | $54,827 | 112.0 |
| 11 | Nevada | $54,790 | — | 100.0 | $54,802 | 112.0 |
| 12 | Missouri | $49,290 | $1,436 | 90.8 | $52,693 | 107.7 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $54,630 | $1,449 | 102.3 | $51,996 | 106.3 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $47,090 | $1,353 | 90.1 | $50,761 | 103.7 |
| 15 | Indiana | $47,930 | $1,408 | 93.3 | $49,847 | 101.9 |
| 16 | Michigan | $49,730 | $1,867 | 96.2 | $49,745 | 101.7 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $46,580 | $1,732 | 90.2 | $49,743 | 101.7 |
| 18 | Maine | $49,940 | $1,756 | 97.0 | $49,648 | 101.5 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $57,370 | $2,830 | 110.0 | $49,604 | 101.4 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $44,410 | $957 | 88.2 | $49,262 | 100.7 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $54,950 | $1,488 | 108.8 | $49,135 | 100.4 |
| 22 | Maryland | $52,780 | $2,174 | 105.0 | $48,215 | 98.5 |
| 23 | Arizona | $49,090 | $752 | 100.7 | $48,013 | 98.1 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $44,100 | — | 91.9 | $48,003 | 98.1 |
| 25 | Ohio | $44,890 | $452 | 92.8 | $47,899 | 97.9 |
| 26 | Utah | $49,610 | $2,257 | 98.9 | $47,897 | 97.9 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $42,260 | — | 88.6 | $47,705 | 97.5 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $43,700 | $1,241 | 89.5 | $47,442 | 97.0 |
| 29 | Idaho | $46,580 | $1,532 | 95.5 | $47,173 | 96.4 |
| 30 | New York | $52,690 | $2,293 | 107.9 | $46,698 | 95.4 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $44,130 | $1,129 | 93.7 | $45,869 | 93.7 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $50,040 | $2,282 | 105.8 | $45,158 | 92.3 |
| 33 | Georgia | $45,200 | $1,789 | 96.3 | $45,082 | 92.1 |
| 34 | Kansas | $42,150 | $1,552 | 90.1 | $45,075 | 92.1 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $43,740 | $1,317 | 94.3 | $44,975 | 91.9 |
| 36 | Oregon | $49,520 | $3,529 | 103.4 | $44,496 | 90.9 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $40,330 | — | 92.7 | $43,510 | 88.9 |
| 38 | Florida | $44,310 | — | 103.4 | $42,847 | 87.6 |
| 39 | Montana | $41,660 | $1,320 | 94.6 | $42,623 | 87.1 |
| 40 | Iowa | $38,160 | $1,410 | 87.8 | $41,875 | 85.6 |
| 41 | Colorado | $44,340 | $1,291 | 103.1 | $41,774 | 85.4 |
| 42 | Washington | $42,170 | — | 107.0 | $39,406 | 80.5 |
| 43 | Delaware | $39,520 | $1,516 | 99.8 | $38,077 | 77.8 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $38,330 | $1,251 | 98.6 | $37,598 | 76.8 |
| 45 | Illinois | $38,020 | $1,741 | 100.0 | $36,294 | 74.2 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $37,480 | $762 | 103.6 | $35,439 | 72.4 |
| 47 | California | $39,330 | $585 | 110.7 | $34,994 | 71.5 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $31,270 | $1,011 | 86.9 | $34,806 | 71.1 |
| 49 | Texas | $33,500 | — | 97.1 | $34,516 | 70.5 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania | $34,320 | $1,054 | 97.6 | $34,094 | 69.7 |
| 51 | Virginia | $35,230 | $1,226 | 101.1 | $33,633 | 68.7 |
"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 Alabama, a $86,350 salary is worth about $92,355 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $4,318 (≈ top marginal 5.00% (upper bound)) · take-home $82,033 · BEA cost of living 88.8 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $97,476, a $5,121 gain over Alabama.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $97,476 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $95,451 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $94,958 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $94,937 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $94,652 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $94,641 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $93,992 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $93,631 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $93,159 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $92,355 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $91,944 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $91,833 | 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).
Protective Service Workers, All Other — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a protective service workers, all other?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alabama is the best state for a protective service workers, all other: a BLS median of $86,350 is worth $92,653 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,053) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 88.8), an index of 189.4 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New Hampshire has the highest headline BLS median for a protective service workers, all other at $88,960, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 51 on real pay (index 174.5). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a protective service workers, all other salary go least far?
- Virginia ranks last of 51 states for a protective service workers, all other: a $35,230 BLS median is worth only $33,633 after tax and cost of living (index 68.7). 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 protective service workers, all other is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.