GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Psychiatric Technicians
Best States to Be a Psychiatric Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a psychiatric technicians salary goes furthest in Nebraska — a $57,370 BLS median worth $61,577 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 137.9).
Which US states are best for a psychiatric technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a psychiatric technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Nebraska #1: a $57,370 BLS median becomes $61,577 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 137.9). Louisiana ranks last ($34,999, index 78.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Nebraska ranks #1 of 49 states for a psychiatric technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 137.9 means pay goes 37.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedPsychiatric Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $57,370 | $1,887 | 90.1 | $61,577 | 137.9 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $67,430 | $3,008 | 109.9 | $58,618 | 131.3 |
| 3 | Oregon | $59,820 | $4,430 | 103.4 | $53,589 | 120.0 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $55,500 | $1,573 | 103.6 | $52,049 | 116.6 |
| 5 | New York | $58,080 | $2,589 | 107.9 | $51,418 | 115.2 |
| 6 | Alaska | $51,650 | — | 102.4 | $50,460 | 113.0 |
| 7 | Missouri | $45,840 | $1,274 | 90.8 | $49,073 | 109.9 |
| 8 | Washington | $52,470 | — | 107.0 | $49,031 | 109.8 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $54,040 | $1,438 | 108.8 | $48,345 | 108.3 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $55,150 | $2,661 | 110.0 | $47,738 | 106.9 |
| 11 | Vermont | $47,560 | $1,175 | 98.0 | $47,352 | 106.1 |
| 12 | Iowa | $42,910 | $1,591 | 87.8 | $47,081 | 105.5 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $52,000 | $2,380 | 105.8 | $46,919 | 105.1 |
| 14 | Kansas | $43,780 | $1,643 | 90.1 | $46,783 | 104.8 |
| 15 | Nevada | $46,450 | — | 100.0 | $46,460 | 104.1 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $48,520 | $1,220 | 102.3 | $46,246 | 103.6 |
| 17 | Georgia | $46,250 | $1,846 | 96.3 | $46,113 | 103.3 |
| 18 | Virginia | $48,320 | $1,979 | 101.1 | $45,835 | 102.7 |
| 19 | Maine | $45,320 | $1,460 | 97.0 | $45,193 | 101.2 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $39,960 | — | 89.0 | $44,920 | 100.6 |
| 21 | Arizona | $45,640 | $666 | 100.7 | $44,672 | 100.1 |
| 22 | Colorado | $47,430 | $1,427 | 103.1 | $44,641 | 100.0 |
| 23 | Illinois | $46,200 | $2,146 | 100.0 | $44,073 | 98.7 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $43,930 | $1,349 | 97.6 | $43,641 | 97.8 |
| 25 | California | $49,140 | $1,045 | 110.7 | $43,439 | 97.3 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $39,800 | — | 91.9 | $43,322 | 97.0 |
| 27 | Michigan | $43,140 | $1,587 | 96.2 | $43,187 | 96.7 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $40,370 | $1,484 | 90.2 | $43,130 | 96.6 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $39,060 | $1,318 | 87.8 | $42,966 | 96.2 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $44,660 | — | 104.2 | $42,874 | 96.0 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $40,970 | $933 | 93.7 | $42,707 | 95.7 |
| 32 | Indiana | $40,910 | $1,197 | 93.3 | $42,551 | 95.3 |
| 33 | Idaho | $41,490 | $1,242 | 95.5 | $42,147 | 94.4 |
| 34 | Florida | $43,570 | — | 103.4 | $42,132 | 94.4 |
| 35 | Ohio | $39,140 | $294 | 92.8 | $41,872 | 93.8 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $40,630 | $1,185 | 94.3 | $41,818 | 93.7 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $40,290 | $1,013 | 94.1 | $41,742 | 93.5 |
| 38 | Maryland | $45,520 | $1,829 | 105.0 | $41,626 | 93.2 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $39,020 | $758 | 92.2 | $41,494 | 93.0 |
| 40 | Texas | $39,970 | — | 97.1 | $41,182 | 92.3 |
| 41 | Montana | $39,190 | $1,174 | 94.6 | $40,167 | 90.0 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $35,930 | $1,193 | 86.9 | $39,957 | 89.5 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $35,320 | $749 | 87.0 | $39,758 | 89.1 |
| 44 | Alabama | $36,680 | $1,569 | 88.8 | $39,529 | 88.5 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $40,300 | $1,356 | 98.6 | $39,488 | 88.5 |
| 46 | Utah | $40,770 | $1,855 | 98.9 | $39,362 | 88.2 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $34,100 | $902 | 89.5 | $37,094 | 83.1 |
| 48 | Delaware | $38,410 | $1,455 | 99.8 | $37,026 | 82.9 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $31,440 | $568 | 88.2 | $34,999 | 78.4 |
"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 Nebraska, a $57,370 salary is worth about $60,361 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,983 (≈ top marginal 5.20% (upper bound)) · take-home $54,387 · BEA cost of living 90.1 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $64,762, a $4,401 gain over Nebraska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $64,762 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $63,417 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $63,089 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $63,075 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $62,886 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $62,878 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $62,447 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $62,207 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $61,894 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $61,360 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $61,087 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $61,013 | 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).
Psychiatric Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a psychiatric technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Nebraska is the best state for a psychiatric technicians: a BLS median of $57,370 is worth $61,577 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,887) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 90.1), an index of 137.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a psychiatric technicians at $67,430, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 49 on real pay (index 131.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a psychiatric technicians salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 49 states for a psychiatric technicians: a $31,440 BLS median is worth only $34,999 after tax and cost of living (index 78.4). 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 psychiatric technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.