GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Surveying and Mapping Technicians
Best States to Be a Surveying and Mapping Technicians
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a surveying and mapping technicians salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $76,970 BLS median worth $75,196 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 134.7).
Which US states are best for a surveying and mapping technicians after cost of living and tax?
For a surveying and mapping technicians, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $76,970 BLS median becomes $75,196 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 134.7). South Carolina ranks last ($45,478, index 81.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 50 states for a surveying and mapping technicians. Index 100 = the average state; 134.7 means pay goes 34.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedSurveying and Mapping Technicians — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $76,970 | — | 102.4 | $75,196 | 134.7 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $73,190 | $3,488 | 98.6 | $70,677 | 126.6 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $60,870 | — | 89.0 | $68,425 | 122.6 |
| 4 | California | $78,110 | $3,142 | 110.7 | $67,709 | 121.3 |
| 5 | Iowa | $58,950 | $2,200 | 87.8 | $64,663 | 115.8 |
| 6 | Ohio | $60,330 | $877 | 92.8 | $64,084 | 114.8 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $58,220 | — | 92.7 | $62,811 | 112.5 |
| 8 | Montana | $60,330 | $2,421 | 94.6 | $61,185 | 109.6 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $59,080 | $1,979 | 94.1 | $60,684 | 108.7 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $56,210 | $1,528 | 92.2 | $59,300 | 106.2 |
| 11 | Nevada | $58,790 | — | 100.0 | $58,802 | 105.3 |
| 12 | Indiana | $56,440 | $1,663 | 93.3 | $58,692 | 105.1 |
| 13 | Washington | $62,720 | — | 107.0 | $58,610 | 105.0 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $58,270 | $1,789 | 97.6 | $57,887 | 103.7 |
| 15 | Utah | $59,600 | $2,712 | 98.9 | $57,542 | 103.1 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $60,320 | $1,662 | 102.3 | $57,350 | 102.7 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $50,050 | — | 88.6 | $56,499 | 101.2 |
| 18 | Maryland | $61,600 | $2,593 | 105.0 | $56,219 | 100.7 |
| 19 | Vermont | $56,460 | $1,473 | 98.0 | $56,134 | 100.6 |
| 20 | Maine | $56,470 | $2,197 | 97.0 | $55,923 | 100.2 |
| 21 | Missouri | $51,700 | $1,549 | 90.8 | $55,222 | 98.9 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $58,900 | $1,726 | 103.6 | $55,182 | 98.9 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $57,290 | — | 104.2 | $54,999 | 98.5 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $50,370 | — | 91.9 | $54,827 | 98.2 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $49,440 | $1,108 | 88.2 | $54,794 | 98.2 |
| 26 | Illinois | $57,470 | $2,704 | 100.0 | $54,789 | 98.1 |
| 27 | Delaware | $57,130 | $2,494 | 99.8 | $54,741 | 98.1 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $53,160 | $1,717 | 94.3 | $54,537 | 97.7 |
| 29 | Colorado | $57,890 | $1,887 | 103.1 | $54,344 | 97.4 |
| 30 | Kansas | $50,900 | $2,041 | 90.1 | $54,247 | 97.2 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $60,720 | $1,807 | 108.8 | $54,145 | 97.0 |
| 32 | Virginia | $56,760 | $2,464 | 101.1 | $53,703 | 96.2 |
| 33 | Idaho | $52,630 | $1,877 | 95.5 | $53,148 | 95.2 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $58,730 | $2,717 | 105.8 | $52,964 | 94.9 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $47,320 | $1,277 | 87.0 | $52,952 | 94.9 |
| 36 | Arizona | $54,080 | $877 | 100.7 | $52,845 | 94.7 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $48,530 | $1,455 | 89.5 | $52,599 | 94.2 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $48,080 | $1,404 | 90.1 | $51,803 | 92.8 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $46,370 | $1,600 | 86.9 | $51,497 | 92.3 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $46,760 | $1,683 | 87.8 | $51,315 | 91.9 |
| 41 | New York | $57,360 | $2,550 | 107.9 | $50,787 | 91.0 |
| 42 | Michigan | $50,340 | $1,893 | 96.2 | $50,352 | 90.2 |
| 43 | Oregon | $55,790 | $4,078 | 103.4 | $50,031 | 89.6 |
| 44 | Alabama | $46,450 | $2,058 | 88.8 | $49,979 | 89.5 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $46,050 | $1,711 | 90.2 | $49,178 | 88.1 |
| 46 | Texas | $47,680 | — | 97.1 | $49,126 | 88.0 |
| 47 | Georgia | $48,810 | $1,984 | 96.3 | $48,629 | 87.1 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $55,580 | $2,694 | 110.0 | $48,100 | 86.2 |
| 49 | Florida | $48,040 | — | 103.4 | $46,454 | 83.2 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $43,740 | $1,105 | 93.7 | $45,478 | 81.5 |
"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 Alaska, a $76,970 salary is worth about $75,196 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $76,970 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $86,887, a $11,691 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $86,887 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $85,082 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $84,643 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $84,624 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $84,370 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $84,360 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $83,781 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $83,460 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $83,039 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $82,323 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $81,957 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $81,858 | 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).
Surveying and Mapping Technicians — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a surveying and mapping technicians?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a surveying and mapping technicians: a BLS median of $76,970 is worth $75,196 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 134.7 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. California has the highest headline BLS median for a surveying and mapping technicians at $78,110, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 50 on real pay (index 121.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a surveying and mapping technicians salary go least far?
- South Carolina ranks last of 50 states for a surveying and mapping technicians: a $43,740 BLS median is worth only $45,478 after tax and cost of living (index 81.5). 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 surveying and mapping technicians is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.