GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Tire Repairers and Changers
Best States to Be a Tire Repairers and Changers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a tire repairers and changers salary goes furthest in Montana — a $46,360 BLS median worth $47,296 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 120.7).
Which US states are best for a tire repairers and changers after cost of living and tax?
For a tire repairers and changers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Montana #1: a $46,360 BLS median becomes $47,296 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 120.7). West Virginia ranks last ($32,535, index 83.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Montana ranks #1 of 50 states for a tire repairers and changers. Index 100 = the average state; 120.7 means pay goes 20.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedTire Repairers and Changers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $46,360 | $1,597 | 94.6 | $47,296 | 120.7 |
| 2 | Delaware | $46,630 | $1,911 | 99.8 | $44,805 | 114.3 |
| 3 | Ohio | $41,760 | $366 | 92.8 | $44,618 | 113.9 |
| 4 | Vermont | $44,480 | $1,071 | 98.0 | $44,314 | 113.1 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $46,240 | $1,134 | 102.3 | $44,101 | 112.6 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $38,800 | — | 88.6 | $43,799 | 111.8 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $38,220 | — | 89.0 | $42,964 | 109.7 |
| 8 | Oregon | $47,650 | $3,365 | 103.4 | $42,845 | 109.3 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $43,750 | $1,541 | 98.6 | $42,799 | 109.2 |
| 10 | Colorado | $45,380 | $1,337 | 103.1 | $42,739 | 109.1 |
| 11 | Alaska | $43,330 | — | 102.4 | $42,331 | 108.0 |
| 12 | Iowa | $38,210 | $1,412 | 87.8 | $41,929 | 107.0 |
| 13 | Missouri | $38,920 | $948 | 90.8 | $41,811 | 106.7 |
| 14 | Washington | $44,670 | — | 107.0 | $41,743 | 106.5 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $39,560 | $981 | 94.1 | $41,000 | 104.6 |
| 16 | Maryland | $44,430 | $1,778 | 105.0 | $40,637 | 103.7 |
| 17 | Kansas | $37,880 | $1,314 | 90.1 | $40,598 | 103.6 |
| 18 | Virginia | $42,370 | $1,637 | 101.1 | $40,289 | 102.8 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $44,440 | $908 | 108.8 | $40,010 | 102.1 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $36,680 | — | 91.9 | $39,926 | 101.9 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $45,760 | $1,979 | 110.0 | $39,819 | 101.6 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $36,590 | $827 | 90.1 | $39,691 | 101.3 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $36,370 | — | 92.7 | $39,238 | 100.1 |
| 24 | Nevada | $39,220 | — | 100.0 | $39,228 | 100.1 |
| 25 | Maine | $38,910 | $1,088 | 97.0 | $38,972 | 99.5 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $36,300 | $1,321 | 90.2 | $38,797 | 99.0 |
| 27 | New York | $43,660 | $1,796 | 107.9 | $38,791 | 99.0 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $34,330 | $705 | 87.0 | $38,670 | 98.7 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $34,890 | $1,120 | 87.8 | $38,444 | 98.1 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $34,450 | $1,135 | 86.9 | $38,321 | 97.8 |
| 31 | Idaho | $37,570 | $1,019 | 95.5 | $38,275 | 97.7 |
| 32 | Alabama | $35,010 | $1,486 | 88.8 | $37,743 | 96.3 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $33,900 | $642 | 88.2 | $37,704 | 96.2 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $37,840 | $1,162 | 97.6 | $37,591 | 95.9 |
| 35 | Arizona | $38,300 | $483 | 100.7 | $37,563 | 95.9 |
| 36 | Indiana | $35,800 | $1,044 | 93.3 | $37,240 | 95.0 |
| 37 | Michigan | $37,130 | $1,332 | 96.2 | $37,206 | 95.0 |
| 38 | Texas | $36,060 | — | 97.1 | $37,153 | 94.8 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $35,040 | $565 | 93.7 | $36,774 | 93.9 |
| 40 | Illinois | $38,420 | $1,761 | 100.0 | $36,675 | 93.6 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $37,850 | — | 104.2 | $36,337 | 92.7 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $35,140 | $952 | 94.3 | $36,245 | 92.5 |
| 43 | Utah | $36,960 | $1,682 | 98.9 | $35,684 | 91.1 |
| 44 | California | $39,680 | $599 | 110.7 | $35,297 | 90.1 |
| 45 | Georgia | $34,700 | $1,224 | 96.3 | $34,765 | 88.7 |
| 46 | Connecticut | $35,760 | $684 | 103.6 | $33,854 | 86.4 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $31,640 | $441 | 92.2 | $33,835 | 86.4 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | $36,770 | $1,619 | 105.8 | $33,238 | 84.8 |
| 49 | Florida | $34,010 | — | 103.4 | $32,887 | 83.9 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $29,880 | $762 | 89.5 | $32,535 | 83.0 |
"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 Montana, a $46,360 salary is worth about $46,093 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $2,735 (≈ top marginal 5.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $43,625 · BEA cost of living 94.6 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $52,333, a $6,240 gain over Montana.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $52,333 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $51,246 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $50,981 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $50,970 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $50,817 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $50,811 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $50,463 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $50,269 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $50,016 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $49,584 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $49,363 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $49,304 | 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).
Tire Repairers and Changers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a tire repairers and changers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Montana is the best state for a tire repairers and changers: a BLS median of $46,360 is worth $47,296 after the 2025 state income tax ($1,597) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 94.6), an index of 120.7 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Oregon has the highest headline BLS median for a tire repairers and changers at $47,650, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #8 of 50 on real pay (index 109.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a tire repairers and changers salary go least far?
- West Virginia ranks last of 50 states for a tire repairers and changers: a $29,880 BLS median is worth only $32,535 after tax and cost of living (index 83.0). 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 tire repairers and changers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.