GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Training and Development Specialists
Best States to Be a Training and Development Specialists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a training and development specialists salary goes furthest in Delaware — a $88,570 BLS median worth $84,227 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 123.3).
Which US states are best for a training and development specialists after cost of living and tax?
For a training and development specialists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Delaware #1: a $88,570 BLS median becomes $84,227 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 123.3). Hawaii ranks last ($52,621, index 77.0). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Delaware ranks #1 of 51 states for a training and development specialists. Index 100 = the average state; 123.3 means pay goes 23.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedTraining and Development Specialists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $88,570 | $4,505 | 99.8 | $84,227 | 123.3 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $86,050 | — | 104.2 | $82,609 | 120.9 |
| 3 | Alaska | $81,860 | — | 102.4 | $79,973 | 117.0 |
| 4 | Vermont | $77,800 | $2,753 | 98.0 | $76,611 | 112.1 |
| 5 | Washington | $81,860 | — | 107.0 | $76,495 | 112.0 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $69,380 | — | 92.7 | $74,851 | 109.5 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $76,710 | $3,727 | 98.6 | $74,003 | 108.3 |
| 8 | Virginia | $77,690 | $3,667 | 101.1 | $73,214 | 107.1 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $78,080 | $2,719 | 103.6 | $72,735 | 106.4 |
| 10 | Iowa | $66,110 | $2,472 | 87.8 | $72,512 | 106.1 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $70,770 | $2,599 | 94.1 | $72,450 | 106.0 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $80,270 | $3,794 | 105.8 | $72,313 | 105.8 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $75,910 | $2,247 | 102.3 | $72,021 | 105.4 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $63,260 | — | 89.0 | $71,111 | 104.1 |
| 15 | Colorado | $75,790 | $2,675 | 103.1 | $70,950 | 103.8 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $71,350 | $2,190 | 97.6 | $70,881 | 103.7 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $65,700 | $2,320 | 90.1 | $70,341 | 102.9 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $64,960 | $2,196 | 89.5 | $70,130 | 102.6 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $80,980 | $4,008 | 109.9 | $70,037 | 102.5 |
| 20 | Maryland | $76,370 | $3,295 | 105.0 | $69,623 | 101.9 |
| 21 | Florida | $71,990 | — | 103.4 | $69,613 | 101.9 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $61,570 | — | 88.6 | $69,503 | 101.7 |
| 23 | Alabama | $64,490 | $2,960 | 88.8 | $69,273 | 101.4 |
| 24 | Ohio | $64,780 | $999 | 92.8 | $68,749 | 100.6 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $77,020 | $2,716 | 108.8 | $68,291 | 99.9 |
| 26 | Oregon | $76,360 | $5,878 | 103.4 | $68,191 | 99.8 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $62,280 | — | 91.9 | $67,791 | 99.2 |
| 28 | New York | $76,080 | $3,579 | 107.9 | $67,179 | 98.3 |
| 29 | Georgia | $67,320 | $2,982 | 96.3 | $66,815 | 97.8 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $65,250 | $2,231 | 94.3 | $66,810 | 97.8 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $61,040 | $2,362 | 87.8 | $66,799 | 97.8 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $62,900 | $1,842 | 92.2 | $66,214 | 96.9 |
| 33 | Kansas | $62,010 | $2,660 | 90.1 | $65,894 | 96.4 |
| 34 | California | $75,790 | $2,931 | 110.7 | $65,805 | 96.3 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $61,390 | $2,325 | 90.2 | $65,512 | 95.9 |
| 36 | Arizona | $67,140 | $1,204 | 100.7 | $65,493 | 95.8 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $63,070 | $2,303 | 93.7 | $64,819 | 94.9 |
| 38 | Maine | $65,680 | $2,819 | 97.0 | $64,772 | 94.8 |
| 39 | Texas | $62,860 | — | 97.1 | $64,766 | 94.8 |
| 40 | Michigan | $64,350 | $2,488 | 96.2 | $64,294 | 94.1 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $58,070 | $1,367 | 88.2 | $64,284 | 94.1 |
| 42 | Illinois | $67,380 | $3,194 | 100.0 | $64,213 | 94.0 |
| 43 | Montana | $62,880 | $2,572 | 94.6 | $63,721 | 93.3 |
| 44 | Indiana | $61,050 | $1,802 | 93.3 | $63,483 | 92.9 |
| 45 | Missouri | $58,670 | $1,877 | 90.8 | $62,536 | 91.5 |
| 46 | Idaho | $61,720 | $2,395 | 95.5 | $62,125 | 90.9 |
| 47 | Nevada | $61,350 | — | 100.0 | $61,363 | 89.8 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $53,680 | $1,557 | 87.0 | $59,944 | 87.7 |
| 49 | Utah | $60,900 | $2,771 | 98.9 | $58,797 | 86.0 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,290 | $1,831 | 86.9 | $58,041 | 84.9 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $60,960 | $3,103 | 110.0 | $52,621 | 77.0 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 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 Delaware, a $88,570 salary is worth about $82,884 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $5,846 (≈ top marginal 6.60% (upper bound)) · take-home $82,724 · BEA cost of living 99.8 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $99,982, a $17,098 gain over Delaware.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $99,982 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $97,905 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $97,399 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $97,378 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $97,086 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $97,074 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $96,408 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $96,038 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $95,554 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $94,729 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $94,308 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $94,194 | 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).
Training and Development Specialists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a training and development specialists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Delaware is the best state for a training and development specialists: a BLS median of $88,570 is worth $84,227 after the 2025 state income tax ($4,505) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 99.8), an index of 123.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Delaware has the highest headline BLS median for a training and development specialists at $88,570, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 123.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a training and development specialists salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 51 states for a training and development specialists: a $60,960 BLS median is worth only $52,621 after tax and cost of living (index 77.0). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
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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 training and development specialists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.