GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Teachers and Instructors, All Other
Best States to Be a Teachers and Instructors, All Other
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a teachers and instructors, all other salary goes furthest in Rhode Island — a $130,480 BLS median worth $123,036 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 185.8).
Which US states are best for a teachers and instructors, all other after cost of living and tax?
For a teachers and instructors, all other, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Rhode Island #1: a $130,480 BLS median becomes $123,036 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 185.8). Arkansas ranks last ($46,600, index 70.4). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Rhode Island ranks #1 of 50 states for a teachers and instructors, all other. Index 100 = the average state; 185.8 means pay goes 85.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedTeachers and Instructors, All Other — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $130,480 | $4,639 | 102.3 | $123,036 | 185.8 |
| 2 | Kansas | $94,520 | $4,475 | 90.1 | $99,975 | 151.0 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $100,610 | $4,811 | 105.8 | $90,585 | 136.8 |
| 4 | Maryland | $94,070 | $4,136 | 105.0 | $85,685 | 129.4 |
| 5 | Maine | $84,330 | $4,080 | 97.0 | $82,689 | 124.9 |
| 6 | Virginia | $85,280 | $4,104 | 101.1 | $80,290 | 121.2 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $73,320 | $2,945 | 87.8 | $80,114 | 121.0 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $93,040 | $5,033 | 109.9 | $80,078 | 120.9 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $67,200 | — | 88.6 | $75,858 | 114.5 |
| 10 | California | $87,460 | $4,012 | 110.7 | $75,369 | 113.8 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $67,200 | $2,152 | 87.0 | $74,809 | 113.0 |
| 12 | Alaska | $76,000 | — | 102.4 | $74,248 | 112.1 |
| 13 | Illinois | $76,450 | $3,643 | 100.0 | $72,837 | 110.0 |
| 14 | Washington | $77,720 | — | 107.0 | $72,627 | 109.7 |
| 15 | Colorado | $76,380 | $2,701 | 103.1 | $71,497 | 108.0 |
| 16 | Alabama | $66,510 | $3,061 | 88.8 | $71,434 | 107.9 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $66,800 | $2,026 | 92.2 | $70,245 | 106.1 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $64,140 | $2,157 | 89.5 | $69,257 | 104.6 |
| 19 | New York | $78,300 | $3,702 | 107.9 | $69,123 | 104.4 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $60,420 | — | 89.0 | $67,919 | 102.6 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $62,560 | $2,157 | 90.1 | $67,038 | 101.2 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $77,360 | $4,349 | 110.0 | $66,403 | 100.3 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $59,460 | $1,409 | 88.2 | $65,812 | 99.4 |
| 24 | Nevada | $65,610 | — | 100.0 | $65,624 | 99.1 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $73,590 | $2,518 | 108.8 | $65,320 | 98.6 |
| 26 | Delaware | $67,230 | $3,096 | 99.8 | $64,257 | 97.0 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $58,200 | $2,197 | 90.2 | $62,116 | 93.8 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $60,220 | $2,126 | 93.7 | $61,967 | 93.6 |
| 29 | Ohio | $56,890 | $782 | 92.8 | $60,478 | 91.3 |
| 30 | Georgia | $60,130 | $2,594 | 96.3 | $59,751 | 90.2 |
| 31 | Missouri | $55,870 | $1,745 | 90.8 | $59,598 | 90.0 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $61,330 | $2,682 | 98.6 | $59,468 | 89.8 |
| 33 | Iowa | $54,080 | $2,015 | 87.8 | $59,325 | 89.6 |
| 34 | Oregon | $65,800 | $4,954 | 103.4 | $58,868 | 88.9 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $62,270 | $1,877 | 103.6 | $58,289 | 88.0 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $58,420 | $1,793 | 97.6 | $58,036 | 87.6 |
| 37 | Michigan | $54,680 | $2,077 | 96.2 | $54,671 | 82.6 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $50,000 | — | 91.9 | $54,425 | 82.2 |
| 39 | Utah | $56,280 | $2,561 | 98.9 | $54,337 | 82.1 |
| 40 | Idaho | $53,600 | $1,932 | 95.5 | $54,106 | 81.7 |
| 41 | Arizona | $55,270 | $907 | 100.7 | $53,998 | 81.5 |
| 42 | Vermont | $53,920 | $1,388 | 98.0 | $53,628 | 81.0 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $51,580 | $1,582 | 94.1 | $53,136 | 80.2 |
| 44 | Texas | $51,120 | — | 97.1 | $52,670 | 79.5 |
| 45 | New Hampshire | $53,680 | — | 104.2 | $51,534 | 77.8 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $50,000 | $1,583 | 94.3 | $51,329 | 77.5 |
| 47 | Indiana | $48,960 | $1,439 | 93.3 | $50,918 | 76.9 |
| 48 | Florida | $51,730 | — | 103.4 | $50,022 | 75.5 |
| 49 | Montana | $48,890 | $1,746 | 94.6 | $49,811 | 75.2 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $41,940 | $1,427 | 86.9 | $46,600 | 70.4 |
"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 Rhode Island, a $130,480 salary is worth about $119,930 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $7,816 (≈ top marginal 5.99% (upper bound)) · take-home $122,664 · BEA cost of living 102.3 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $147,292, a $27,362 gain over Rhode Island.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $147,292 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $144,232 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $143,487 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $143,456 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $143,025 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $143,007 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $142,027 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $141,482 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $140,769 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $139,554 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $138,933 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $138,765 | 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).
Teachers and Instructors, All Other — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a teachers and instructors, all other?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Rhode Island is the best state for a teachers and instructors, all other: a BLS median of $130,480 is worth $123,036 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,639) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.3), an index of 185.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Rhode Island has the highest headline BLS median for a teachers and instructors, all other at $130,480, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 50 on real pay (index 185.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a teachers and instructors, all other salary go least far?
- Arkansas ranks last of 50 states for a teachers and instructors, all other: a $41,940 BLS median is worth only $46,600 after tax and cost of living (index 70.4). 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
Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS
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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 teachers and instructors, all other is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.