GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
Best States to Be a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks salary goes furthest in Michigan — a $60,220 BLS median worth $60,184 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 141.3).
Which US states are best for a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks after cost of living and tax?
For a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Michigan #1: a $60,220 BLS median becomes $60,184 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 141.3). New Jersey ranks last ($35,054, index 82.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Michigan ranks #1 of 50 states for a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks. Index 100 = the average state; 141.3 means pay goes 41.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedReservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $60,220 | $2,313 | 96.2 | $60,184 | 141.3 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $60,090 | $2,597 | 98.6 | $58,297 | 136.9 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $47,340 | $1,711 | 87.8 | $51,944 | 122.0 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $47,850 | $1,138 | 92.2 | $50,658 | 119.0 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $44,520 | $961 | 88.2 | $49,383 | 116.0 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $45,840 | $1,703 | 90.2 | $48,955 | 115.0 |
| 7 | Georgia | $47,860 | $1,933 | 96.3 | $47,695 | 112.0 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $42,040 | $1,431 | 86.9 | $46,711 | 109.7 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $44,630 | $1,355 | 94.3 | $45,878 | 107.7 |
| 10 | Illinois | $47,850 | $2,228 | 100.0 | $45,642 | 107.2 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $43,740 | $1,105 | 93.7 | $45,478 | 106.8 |
| 12 | Washington | $48,520 | — | 107.0 | $45,340 | 106.5 |
| 13 | Alaska | $45,870 | — | 102.4 | $44,813 | 105.2 |
| 14 | Arizona | $45,710 | $668 | 100.7 | $44,739 | 105.1 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $44,380 | $1,362 | 97.6 | $44,088 | 103.5 |
| 16 | Montana | $43,110 | $1,405 | 94.6 | $44,064 | 103.5 |
| 17 | California | $49,420 | $1,061 | 110.7 | $43,677 | 102.6 |
| 18 | Missouri | $40,560 | $1,025 | 90.8 | $43,532 | 102.2 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $45,420 | $1,103 | 102.3 | $43,329 | 101.8 |
| 20 | Colorado | $45,960 | $1,362 | 103.1 | $43,277 | 101.6 |
| 21 | Indiana | $41,400 | $1,212 | 93.3 | $43,061 | 101.1 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $37,730 | $855 | 87.0 | $42,408 | 99.6 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $38,530 | — | 91.9 | $41,940 | 98.5 |
| 24 | Virginia | $44,140 | $1,738 | 101.1 | $41,939 | 98.5 |
| 25 | Delaware | $43,140 | $1,717 | 99.8 | $41,502 | 97.5 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $37,850 | $890 | 90.1 | $41,019 | 96.3 |
| 27 | Nevada | $41,000 | — | 100.0 | $41,009 | 96.3 |
| 28 | Idaho | $40,230 | $1,171 | 95.5 | $40,902 | 96.1 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $46,550 | $1,693 | 109.9 | $40,816 | 95.9 |
| 30 | Maine | $40,700 | $1,192 | 97.0 | $40,709 | 95.6 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $35,860 | — | 88.6 | $40,480 | 95.1 |
| 32 | Iowa | $36,880 | $1,361 | 87.8 | $40,471 | 95.0 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $44,230 | $1,992 | 105.8 | $39,939 | 93.8 |
| 34 | Alabama | $36,620 | $1,566 | 88.8 | $39,465 | 92.7 |
| 35 | Texas | $38,220 | — | 97.1 | $39,379 | 92.5 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $40,920 | — | 104.2 | $39,284 | 92.3 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $34,870 | — | 89.0 | $39,198 | 92.1 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $45,020 | $1,925 | 110.0 | $39,194 | 92.0 |
| 39 | Ohio | $36,070 | $210 | 92.8 | $38,654 | 90.8 |
| 40 | Vermont | $38,310 | $865 | 98.0 | $38,226 | 89.8 |
| 41 | New York | $42,990 | $1,759 | 107.9 | $38,204 | 89.7 |
| 42 | Florida | $39,490 | — | 103.4 | $38,186 | 89.7 |
| 43 | Kansas | $34,940 | $1,153 | 90.1 | $37,513 | 88.1 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $35,950 | $822 | 94.1 | $37,332 | 87.7 |
| 45 | Utah | $38,660 | $1,759 | 98.9 | $37,325 | 87.7 |
| 46 | Maryland | $40,750 | $1,603 | 105.0 | $37,298 | 87.6 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $39,380 | $847 | 103.6 | $37,190 | 87.3 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $34,030 | $900 | 89.5 | $37,018 | 86.9 |
| 49 | Oregon | $40,570 | $2,746 | 103.4 | $36,594 | 85.9 |
| 50 | New Jersey | $38,780 | $640 | 108.8 | $35,054 | 82.3 |
"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 Michigan, a $60,220 salary is worth about $59,928 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,559 (flat 4.25%) · take-home $57,661 · BEA cost of living 96.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $67,979, a $8,051 gain over Michigan.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $67,979 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $66,567 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $66,223 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $66,209 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $66,010 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $66,002 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $65,549 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $65,298 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $64,969 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $64,408 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $64,121 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $64,044 | 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).
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Michigan is the best state for a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks: a BLS median of $60,220 is worth $60,184 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,313) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 96.2), an index of 141.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Michigan has the highest headline BLS median for a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks at $60,220, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 141.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks salary go least far?
- New Jersey ranks last of 50 states for a reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks: a $38,780 BLS median is worth only $35,054 after tax and cost of living (index 82.3). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- CashiersWashington
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- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
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- 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 reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.