Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?

Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive at $59,910, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 51 on real pay (index 111.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Best States to Be a Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary goes furthest in Connecticut — a $57,210 BLS median worth $53,625 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 114.1).

Which US states are best for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive after cost of living and tax?

For a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Connecticut #1: a $57,210 BLS median becomes $53,625 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 114.1). Georgia ranks last ($41,545, index 88.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Connecticut ranks #1 of 51 states for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive. Index 100 = the average state; 114.1 means pay goes 14.1% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

114.1

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — real pay by state (best first)

#	State	BLS median	State tax	Cost (RPP)	Real pay	Index
1	Connecticut	$57,210	$1,649	103.6	$53,625	114.1
2	Washington	$57,330	—	107.0	$53,573	114.0
3	North Dakota	$47,480	—	89.0	$53,373	113.6
4	Massachusetts	$57,940	$2,677	105.8	$52,255	111.2
5	District of Columbia	$59,910	$2,519	109.9	$52,220	111.1
6	Nebraska	$46,760	$1,337	90.1	$50,413	107.3
7	Minnesota	$51,400	$2,006	98.6	$50,084	106.6
8	Tennessee	$45,810	—	91.9	$49,864	106.1
9	Rhode Island	$52,140	$1,355	102.3	$49,653	105.7
10	Iowa	$45,150	$1,676	87.8	$49,537	105.4
11	Maine	$49,820	$1,748	97.0	$49,533	105.4
12	Ohio	$46,230	$489	92.8	$49,304	104.9
13	Wisconsin	$47,710	$1,376	94.1	$49,241	104.8
14	New Mexico	$46,450	$1,077	92.2	$49,205	104.7
15	Wyoming	$45,450	—	92.7	$49,034	104.3
16	California	$55,400	$1,420	110.7	$48,753	103.7
17	Vermont	$48,920	$1,220	98.0	$48,694	103.6
18	Alaska	$48,530	—	102.4	$47,412	100.9
19	Kentucky	$44,200	$1,637	90.2	$47,209	100.5
20	South Dakota	$41,700	—	88.6	$47,073	100.2
21	North Carolina	$45,790	$1,404	94.3	$47,056	100.1
22	Arizona	$47,940	$724	100.7	$46,899	99.8
23	Missouri	$43,540	$1,165	90.8	$46,659	99.3
24	South Carolina	$44,880	$1,175	93.7	$46,619	99.2
25	Nevada	$46,570	—	100.0	$46,580	99.1
26	Texas	$45,140	—	97.1	$46,509	99.0
27	Oregon	$51,740	$3,723	103.4	$46,455	98.8
28	New Hampshire	$48,080	—	104.2	$46,158	98.2
29	Illinois	$48,310	$2,250	100.0	$46,079	98.0
30	Delaware	$47,970	$1,985	99.8	$46,073	98.0
31	Michigan	$46,020	$1,709	96.2	$46,053	98.0
32	Indiana	$44,270	$1,298	93.3	$46,043	98.0
33	Pennsylvania	$46,270	$1,420	97.6	$45,966	97.8
34	Colorado	$48,690	$1,482	103.1	$45,810	97.5
35	Utah	$47,050	$2,141	98.9	$45,425	96.7
36	Kansas	$42,270	$1,559	90.1	$45,200	96.2
37	Virginia	$47,620	$1,938	101.1	$45,183	96.1
38	New Jersey	$50,260	$1,229	108.8	$45,063	95.9
39	Montana	$43,940	$1,454	94.6	$44,890	95.5
40	Alabama	$41,630	$1,817	88.8	$44,823	95.4
41	Maryland	$48,680	$1,980	105.0	$44,494	94.7
42	Florida	$45,900	—	103.4	$44,385	94.4
43	Idaho	$43,710	$1,369	95.5	$44,339	94.3
44	Hawaii	$50,830	$2,344	110.0	$44,098	93.8
45	New York	$49,600	$2,123	107.9	$43,992	93.6
46	West Virginia	$40,370	$1,111	89.5	$43,866	93.3
47	Oklahoma	$39,660	$1,346	87.8	$43,616	92.8
48	Louisiana	$38,790	$789	88.2	$43,082	91.7
49	Mississippi	$37,340	$838	87.0	$41,979	89.3
50	Arkansas	$37,630	$1,259	86.9	$41,836	89.0
51	Georgia	$41,600	$1,595	96.3	$41,545	88.4

"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.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Connecticut, a $57,210 salary is worth about $51,357 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $3,999 (≈ top marginal 6.99% (upper bound)) · take-home $53,211 · BEA cost of living 103.6 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $64,581, a $13,224 gain over Connecticut.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$64,581	88.6
2	Arkansas	$63,240	86.9
3	Louisiana	$62,913	88.2
4	Mississippi	$62,899	87.0
5	Iowa	$62,711	87.8
6	North Dakota	$62,703	89.0
7	Tennessee	$62,273	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$62,034	87.8
9	Wyoming	$61,721	92.7
10	Alabama	$61,189	88.8
11	Kentucky	$60,916	90.2
12	West Virginia	$60,843	89.5

Browse US jobs with salaries

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).

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — real pay FAQ

What is the best state to be a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive?: By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Connecticut is the best state for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive: a BLS median of $57,210 is worth $53,625 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,649) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 103.6), an index of 114.1 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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive at $59,910, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 51 on real pay (index 111.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
Where does a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive salary go least far?: Georgia ranks last of 51 states for a secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive: a $41,600 BLS median is worth only $41,545 after tax and cost of living (index 88.4). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.

Compare other occupations

Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS

BLS OEWS updates roughly once a year. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed real-pay rankings when new wage data lands.

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 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.