GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Self-Enrichment Teachers
Best States to Be a Self-Enrichment Teachers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a self-enrichment teachers salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $66,430 BLS median worth $57,767 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 129.7).
Which US states are best for a self-enrichment teachers after cost of living and tax?
For a self-enrichment teachers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $66,430 BLS median becomes $57,767 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 129.7). Delaware ranks last ($33,544, index 75.3). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 states for a self-enrichment teachers. Index 100 = the average state; 129.7 means pay goes 29.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedSelf-Enrichment Teachers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $66,430 | $2,943 | 109.9 | $57,767 | 129.7 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $59,880 | — | 104.2 | $57,486 | 129.1 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $49,720 | — | 88.6 | $56,126 | 126.1 |
| 4 | Vermont | $53,190 | $1,363 | 98.0 | $52,907 | 118.8 |
| 5 | Georgia | $52,320 | $2,173 | 96.3 | $52,077 | 117.0 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $55,240 | $1,561 | 103.6 | $51,809 | 116.4 |
| 7 | New York | $57,790 | $2,573 | 107.9 | $51,164 | 114.9 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $46,640 | — | 92.7 | $50,318 | 113.0 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $45,010 | $1,299 | 89.5 | $48,841 | 109.7 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $45,890 | $1,053 | 92.2 | $48,624 | 109.2 |
| 11 | Oregon | $53,790 | $3,903 | 103.4 | $48,265 | 108.4 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $53,780 | $1,424 | 108.8 | $48,119 | 108.1 |
| 13 | Maryland | $51,630 | $2,120 | 105.0 | $47,171 | 105.9 |
| 14 | Nevada | $47,020 | — | 100.0 | $47,030 | 105.6 |
| 15 | Virginia | $49,160 | $2,027 | 101.1 | $46,618 | 104.7 |
| 16 | Alaska | $47,710 | — | 102.4 | $46,610 | 104.7 |
| 17 | Maine | $46,720 | $1,541 | 97.0 | $46,552 | 104.6 |
| 18 | Missouri | $43,090 | $1,144 | 90.8 | $46,187 | 103.7 |
| 19 | Montana | $45,050 | $1,520 | 94.6 | $45,993 | 103.3 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $51,960 | $2,425 | 110.0 | $45,052 | 101.2 |
| 21 | Washington | $48,020 | — | 107.0 | $44,873 | 100.8 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $45,660 | $1,643 | 98.6 | $44,632 | 100.2 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $49,430 | $2,252 | 105.8 | $44,610 | 100.2 |
| 24 | Florida | $45,830 | — | 103.4 | $44,317 | 99.5 |
| 25 | Kansas | $41,290 | $1,504 | 90.1 | $44,173 | 99.2 |
| 26 | California | $49,570 | $1,070 | 110.7 | $43,804 | 98.4 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $38,770 | $901 | 87.0 | $43,551 | 97.8 |
| 28 | Arizona | $44,110 | $628 | 100.7 | $43,190 | 97.0 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $41,710 | $1,231 | 94.3 | $42,914 | 96.4 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $39,990 | $1,469 | 90.2 | $42,726 | 96.0 |
| 31 | Illinois | $44,230 | $2,048 | 100.0 | $42,199 | 94.8 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $38,730 | — | 91.9 | $42,157 | 94.7 |
| 33 | Colorado | $44,710 | $1,307 | 103.1 | $42,117 | 94.6 |
| 34 | Utah | $43,580 | $1,983 | 98.9 | $42,075 | 94.5 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $37,760 | $758 | 88.2 | $41,949 | 94.2 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $38,010 | $1,268 | 87.8 | $41,827 | 93.9 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $39,800 | $860 | 93.7 | $41,536 | 93.3 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $41,740 | $1,281 | 97.6 | $41,465 | 93.1 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $38,240 | $910 | 90.1 | $41,431 | 93.1 |
| 40 | Alabama | $38,430 | $1,657 | 88.8 | $41,401 | 93.0 |
| 41 | Michigan | $40,350 | $1,468 | 96.2 | $40,410 | 90.8 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $41,960 | $974 | 102.3 | $40,073 | 90.0 |
| 43 | Ohio | $37,360 | $245 | 92.8 | $40,006 | 89.9 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $35,100 | — | 89.0 | $39,456 | 88.6 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $37,820 | $905 | 94.1 | $39,232 | 88.1 |
| 46 | Iowa | $35,670 | $1,315 | 87.8 | $39,145 | 87.9 |
| 47 | Indiana | $36,980 | $1,079 | 93.3 | $38,467 | 86.4 |
| 48 | Texas | $36,140 | — | 97.1 | $37,236 | 83.6 |
| 49 | Idaho | $36,490 | $958 | 95.5 | $37,209 | 83.6 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $30,810 | $993 | 86.9 | $34,297 | 77.0 |
| 51 | Delaware | $34,730 | $1,251 | 99.8 | $33,544 | 75.3 |
"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 District of Columbia, a $66,430 salary is worth about $53,947 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $7,141 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $59,289 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $74,989, a $21,042 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $74,989 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $73,432 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $73,052 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $73,036 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $72,817 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $72,808 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $72,309 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $72,031 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $71,668 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $71,050 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $70,734 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $70,648 | 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).
Self-Enrichment Teachers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a self-enrichment teachers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a self-enrichment teachers: a BLS median of $66,430 is worth $57,767 after the 2025 state income tax ($2,943) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 129.7 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 self-enrichment teachers at $66,430, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 129.7). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a self-enrichment teachers salary go least far?
- Delaware ranks last of 51 states for a self-enrichment teachers: a $34,730 BLS median is worth only $33,544 after tax and cost of living (index 75.3). 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 self-enrichment teachers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.