GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Recreation Workers
Best States to Be a Recreation Workers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a recreation workers salary goes furthest in South Dakota — a $42,270 BLS median worth $47,716 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 136.1).
Which US states are best for a recreation workers after cost of living and tax?
For a recreation workers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks South Dakota #1: a $42,270 BLS median becomes $47,716 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 136.1). Nevada ranks last ($30,156, index 86.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
South Dakota ranks #1 of 51 states for a recreation workers. Index 100 = the average state; 136.1 means pay goes 36.1% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedRecreation Workers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $42,270 | — | 88.6 | $47,716 | 136.1 |
| 2 | Washington | $44,890 | — | 107.0 | $41,948 | 119.6 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $37,310 | — | 89.0 | $41,941 | 119.6 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $46,460 | $1,688 | 109.9 | $40,739 | 116.2 |
| 5 | Nebraska | $34,590 | $727 | 90.1 | $37,583 | 107.2 |
| 6 | Maine | $37,450 | $1,003 | 97.0 | $37,554 | 107.1 |
| 7 | Vermont | $37,450 | $836 | 98.0 | $37,377 | 106.6 |
| 8 | Iowa | $33,700 | $1,241 | 87.8 | $36,986 | 105.5 |
| 9 | Missouri | $34,320 | $732 | 90.8 | $36,984 | 105.5 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $35,530 | $804 | 94.1 | $36,906 | 105.2 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $37,510 | $1,207 | 98.6 | $36,811 | 105.0 |
| 12 | Colorado | $38,820 | $1,048 | 103.1 | $36,653 | 104.5 |
| 13 | Alaska | $37,510 | — | 102.4 | $36,646 | 104.5 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $33,580 | — | 91.9 | $36,552 | 104.2 |
| 15 | Montana | $35,090 | $944 | 94.6 | $36,078 | 102.9 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $41,000 | $1,638 | 110.0 | $35,799 | 102.1 |
| 17 | Oregon | $39,610 | $2,662 | 103.4 | $35,747 | 101.9 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $37,040 | — | 104.2 | $35,559 | 101.4 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $35,710 | $1,096 | 97.6 | $35,475 | 101.2 |
| 20 | California | $39,780 | $603 | 110.7 | $35,384 | 100.9 |
| 21 | Michigan | $35,090 | $1,245 | 96.2 | $35,176 | 100.3 |
| 22 | Arizona | $35,800 | $420 | 100.7 | $35,142 | 100.2 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $31,580 | $962 | 87.8 | $34,855 | 99.4 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $38,540 | $1,707 | 105.8 | $34,828 | 99.3 |
| 25 | Ohio | $32,420 | $109 | 92.8 | $34,827 | 99.3 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $36,340 | $763 | 102.3 | $34,784 | 99.2 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $32,400 | $1,165 | 90.2 | $34,644 | 98.8 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $36,610 | $722 | 103.6 | $34,637 | 98.8 |
| 29 | Virginia | $36,120 | $1,277 | 101.1 | $34,462 | 98.3 |
| 30 | Florida | $35,490 | — | 103.4 | $34,318 | 97.9 |
| 31 | Kansas | $31,760 | $988 | 90.1 | $34,166 | 97.4 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $31,900 | $452 | 92.2 | $34,104 | 97.3 |
| 33 | Maryland | $37,200 | $1,434 | 105.0 | $34,076 | 97.2 |
| 34 | Illinois | $35,480 | $1,615 | 100.0 | $33,879 | 96.6 |
| 35 | New York | $38,040 | $1,487 | 107.9 | $33,870 | 96.6 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $32,720 | $849 | 94.3 | $33,788 | 96.4 |
| 37 | Texas | $32,720 | — | 97.1 | $33,712 | 96.1 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $36,880 | $573 | 108.8 | $33,369 | 95.2 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $30,720 | — | 92.7 | $33,142 | 94.5 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $31,420 | $386 | 93.7 | $33,103 | 94.4 |
| 41 | Delaware | $33,790 | $1,198 | 99.8 | $32,654 | 93.1 |
| 42 | Georgia | $32,540 | $1,107 | 96.3 | $32,643 | 93.1 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $29,710 | $756 | 89.5 | $32,352 | 92.3 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $28,580 | $482 | 88.2 | $31,854 | 90.8 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $28,060 | $429 | 87.0 | $31,776 | 90.6 |
| 46 | Utah | $32,890 | $1,496 | 98.9 | $31,754 | 90.6 |
| 47 | Indiana | $30,190 | $876 | 93.3 | $31,410 | 89.6 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $27,770 | $875 | 86.9 | $30,937 | 88.2 |
| 49 | Idaho | $30,100 | $594 | 95.5 | $30,898 | 88.1 |
| 50 | Alabama | $28,360 | $1,153 | 88.8 | $30,631 | 87.4 |
| 51 | Nevada | $30,150 | — | 100.0 | $30,156 | 86.0 |
"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 South Dakota, a $42,270 salary is worth about $47,716 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $42,270 · BEA cost of living 88.6 (US = 100).
That makes South Dakota the state where this salary goes furthest.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $47,716 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $46,725 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $46,484 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $46,474 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $46,334 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $46,328 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $46,011 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $45,834 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $45,603 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $45,210 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $45,008 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $44,954 | 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).
Recreation Workers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a recreation workers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, South Dakota is the best state for a recreation workers: a BLS median of $42,270 is worth $47,716 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 88.6), an index of 136.1 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 recreation workers at $46,460, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 51 on real pay (index 116.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a recreation workers salary go least far?
- Nevada ranks last of 51 states for a recreation workers: a $30,150 BLS median is worth only $30,156 after tax and cost of living (index 86.0). 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 recreation workers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.