GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Sewing Machine Operators
Best States to Be a Sewing Machine Operators
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a sewing machine operators salary goes furthest in Nevada — a $45,750 BLS median worth $45,760 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 122.2).
Which US states are best for a sewing machine operators after cost of living and tax?
For a sewing machine operators, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Nevada #1: a $45,750 BLS median becomes $45,760 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 122.2). Kentucky ranks last ($31,514, index 84.1). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Nevada ranks #1 of 50 states for a sewing machine operators. Index 100 = the average state; 122.2 means pay goes 22.2% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedSewing Machine Operators — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $45,750 | — | 100.0 | $45,760 | 122.2 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $39,000 | — | 88.6 | $44,025 | 117.5 |
| 3 | Maine | $43,520 | $1,355 | 97.0 | $43,446 | 116.0 |
| 4 | Alaska | $43,850 | — | 102.4 | $42,839 | 114.4 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $37,600 | $849 | 87.0 | $42,265 | 112.8 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $40,370 | $1,017 | 94.1 | $41,823 | 111.6 |
| 7 | Colorado | $43,840 | $1,269 | 103.1 | $41,310 | 110.3 |
| 8 | Vermont | $40,850 | $950 | 98.0 | $40,732 | 108.7 |
| 9 | Washington | $43,360 | — | 107.0 | $40,518 | 108.2 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $37,060 | $851 | 90.1 | $40,187 | 107.3 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $35,700 | — | 89.0 | $40,131 | 107.1 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $41,740 | — | 104.2 | $40,071 | 107.0 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $38,250 | $764 | 93.7 | $39,985 | 106.7 |
| 14 | Indiana | $38,440 | $1,123 | 93.3 | $39,984 | 106.7 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $35,630 | $1,181 | 86.9 | $39,625 | 105.8 |
| 16 | Arizona | $40,210 | $530 | 100.7 | $39,413 | 105.2 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $36,510 | — | 92.7 | $39,389 | 105.2 |
| 18 | Iowa | $35,870 | $1,323 | 87.8 | $39,364 | 105.1 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $42,910 | $1,926 | 105.8 | $38,753 | 103.5 |
| 20 | Missouri | $35,610 | $793 | 90.8 | $38,338 | 102.3 |
| 21 | Ohio | $35,760 | $201 | 92.8 | $38,329 | 102.3 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $38,930 | $1,283 | 98.6 | $38,173 | 101.9 |
| 23 | Kansas | $35,360 | $1,175 | 90.1 | $37,955 | 101.3 |
| 24 | Idaho | $37,160 | $996 | 95.5 | $37,871 | 101.1 |
| 25 | Montana | $36,740 | $1,029 | 94.6 | $37,731 | 100.7 |
| 26 | Michigan | $37,490 | $1,347 | 96.2 | $37,564 | 100.3 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $34,220 | — | 91.9 | $37,248 | 99.4 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $34,840 | $578 | 92.2 | $37,156 | 99.2 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $38,670 | $850 | 102.3 | $36,977 | 98.7 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $33,340 | $1,046 | 87.8 | $36,763 | 98.1 |
| 31 | Delaware | $37,690 | $1,415 | 99.8 | $36,345 | 97.0 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $35,160 | $952 | 94.3 | $36,265 | 96.8 |
| 33 | Oregon | $39,780 | $2,677 | 103.4 | $35,897 | 95.8 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $37,780 | $775 | 103.6 | $35,716 | 95.3 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $35,640 | $1,094 | 97.6 | $35,405 | 94.5 |
| 36 | Georgia | $34,790 | $1,228 | 96.3 | $34,854 | 93.0 |
| 37 | Illinois | $36,220 | $1,652 | 100.0 | $34,583 | 92.3 |
| 38 | Utah | $35,550 | $1,618 | 98.9 | $34,322 | 91.6 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $39,230 | $1,518 | 110.0 | $34,299 | 91.6 |
| 40 | New York | $38,480 | $1,511 | 107.9 | $34,255 | 91.4 |
| 41 | Virginia | $35,790 | $1,258 | 101.1 | $34,155 | 91.2 |
| 42 | California | $37,940 | $529 | 110.7 | $33,788 | 90.2 |
| 43 | Alabama | $30,830 | $1,277 | 88.8 | $33,272 | 88.8 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $29,600 | $513 | 88.2 | $32,976 | 88.0 |
| 45 | Maryland | $35,860 | $1,371 | 105.0 | $32,860 | 87.7 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $36,130 | $547 | 108.8 | $32,703 | 87.3 |
| 47 | Florida | $33,270 | — | 103.4 | $32,172 | 85.9 |
| 48 | Texas | $31,000 | — | 97.1 | $31,940 | 85.3 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $29,320 | $743 | 89.5 | $31,930 | 85.2 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $29,460 | $1,048 | 90.2 | $31,514 | 84.1 |
"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 Nevada, a $45,750 salary is worth about $45,760 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $45,750 · BEA cost of living 100.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $51,645, a $5,885 gain over Nevada.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $51,645 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $50,572 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $50,311 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $50,300 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $50,149 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $50,142 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $49,799 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $49,608 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $49,358 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $48,932 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $48,714 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $48,655 | 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).
Sewing Machine Operators — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a sewing machine operators?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Nevada is the best state for a sewing machine operators: a BLS median of $45,750 is worth $45,760 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 100.0), an index of 122.2 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Nevada has the highest headline BLS median for a sewing machine operators at $45,750, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 122.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a sewing machine operators salary go least far?
- Kentucky ranks last of 50 states for a sewing machine operators: a $29,460 BLS median is worth only $31,514 after tax and cost of living (index 84.1). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
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- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
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- 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 sewing machine operators is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.