GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Tour and Travel Guides
Best States to Be a Tour and Travel Guides
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a tour and travel guides salary goes furthest in Wyoming — a $47,020 BLS median worth $50,728 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 134.9).
Which US states are best for a tour and travel guides after cost of living and tax?
For a tour and travel guides, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Wyoming #1: a $47,020 BLS median becomes $50,728 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 134.9). Iowa ranks last ($24,698, index 65.7). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 50 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Wyoming ranks #1 of 50 states for a tour and travel guides. Index 100 = the average state; 134.9 means pay goes 34.9% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedTour and Travel Guides — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $47,020 | — | 92.7 | $50,728 | 134.9 |
| 2 | Washington | $54,160 | — | 107.0 | $50,611 | 134.6 |
| 3 | Kansas | $43,700 | $1,639 | 90.1 | $46,699 | 124.2 |
| 4 | Vermont | $45,920 | $1,120 | 98.0 | $45,734 | 121.7 |
| 5 | Maine | $44,940 | $1,438 | 97.0 | $44,825 | 119.2 |
| 6 | Alaska | $44,210 | — | 102.4 | $43,191 | 114.9 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $49,210 | $1,853 | 109.9 | $43,091 | 114.6 |
| 8 | Montana | $40,100 | $1,228 | 94.6 | $41,072 | 109.3 |
| 9 | California | $46,000 | $856 | 110.7 | $40,773 | 108.5 |
| 10 | Colorado | $42,840 | $1,225 | 103.1 | $40,383 | 107.4 |
| 11 | Florida | $41,600 | — | 103.4 | $40,227 | 107.0 |
| 12 | Georgia | $40,190 | $1,519 | 96.3 | $40,159 | 106.8 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $45,940 | $1,992 | 110.0 | $39,971 | 106.3 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $41,600 | — | 104.2 | $39,937 | 106.2 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $35,360 | — | 89.0 | $39,749 | 105.7 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $35,100 | — | 88.6 | $39,623 | 105.4 |
| 17 | New York | $44,450 | $1,840 | 107.9 | $39,483 | 105.0 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $37,080 | $674 | 92.2 | $39,480 | 105.0 |
| 19 | Nevada | $39,360 | — | 100.0 | $39,368 | 104.7 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $39,650 | $1,321 | 98.6 | $38,864 | 103.4 |
| 21 | Idaho | $37,960 | $1,041 | 95.5 | $38,661 | 102.8 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $36,070 | $1,312 | 90.2 | $38,552 | 102.6 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $34,290 | $1,129 | 86.9 | $38,144 | 101.5 |
| 24 | Utah | $38,540 | $1,754 | 98.9 | $37,209 | 99.0 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $35,190 | $574 | 93.7 | $36,924 | 98.2 |
| 26 | Maryland | $40,310 | $1,582 | 105.0 | $36,898 | 98.2 |
| 27 | Arizona | $37,560 | $464 | 100.7 | $36,847 | 98.0 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $33,760 | — | 91.9 | $36,748 | 97.8 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $38,310 | $837 | 102.3 | $36,638 | 97.5 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $32,060 | $587 | 88.2 | $35,681 | 94.9 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $32,150 | $990 | 87.8 | $35,473 | 94.4 |
| 32 | Oregon | $39,260 | $2,631 | 103.4 | $35,438 | 94.3 |
| 33 | Ohio | $32,800 | $120 | 92.8 | $35,226 | 93.7 |
| 34 | Michigan | $35,090 | $1,245 | 96.2 | $35,176 | 93.6 |
| 35 | Illinois | $36,780 | $1,680 | 100.0 | $35,115 | 93.4 |
| 36 | Missouri | $31,980 | $622 | 90.8 | $34,529 | 91.9 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $31,580 | $593 | 90.1 | $34,390 | 91.5 |
| 38 | Alabama | $31,700 | $1,320 | 88.8 | $34,203 | 91.0 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $37,840 | $1,672 | 105.8 | $34,199 | 91.0 |
| 40 | Texas | $33,080 | — | 97.1 | $34,083 | 90.7 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $32,570 | $842 | 94.3 | $33,636 | 89.5 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $35,090 | $654 | 103.6 | $33,236 | 88.4 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $36,640 | $565 | 108.8 | $33,156 | 88.2 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $32,910 | $1,010 | 97.6 | $32,693 | 87.0 |
| 45 | Indiana | $31,030 | $901 | 93.3 | $32,283 | 85.9 |
| 46 | Delaware | $33,210 | $1,166 | 99.8 | $32,105 | 85.4 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $30,160 | $567 | 94.1 | $31,450 | 83.7 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $28,570 | $718 | 89.5 | $31,120 | 82.8 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $27,460 | $403 | 87.0 | $31,117 | 82.8 |
| 50 | Iowa | $22,490 | $815 | 87.8 | $24,698 | 65.7 |
"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 Wyoming, a $47,020 salary is worth about $50,728 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $47,020 · BEA cost of living 92.7 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $53,078, a $2,351 gain over Wyoming.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $53,078 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $51,976 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $51,707 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $51,696 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $51,541 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $51,534 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $51,181 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $50,985 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $50,728 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $50,290 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $50,066 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $50,006 | 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).
Tour and Travel Guides — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a tour and travel guides?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Wyoming is the best state for a tour and travel guides: a BLS median of $47,020 is worth $50,728 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.7), an index of 134.9 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Washington has the highest headline BLS median for a tour and travel guides at $54,160, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 50 on real pay (index 134.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a tour and travel guides salary go least far?
- Iowa ranks last of 50 states for a tour and travel guides: a $22,490 BLS median is worth only $24,698 after tax and cost of living (index 65.7). 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 tour and travel guides is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.