Is Georgia a good state for your salary to go far?

Georgia ranks #46 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 94.6 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 96.3 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Georgia?

Georgia's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 96.3, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Georgia

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Georgia

Georgia ranks #46 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 94.6, base = 100). Cost of living 96.3 (US = 100); top income tax 5.39%.

Does a salary go further in Georgia? (cost of living + state tax)

In Georgia, the cost of living is 96.3 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 94.6 across 370 occupations, ranking it #46 of 51 states for how far pay goes after 2025 state income tax and 2024 BEA cost of living. Real BLS OEWS; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Georgia ranks #46 of 51 states. Mean across 370 occupations; 100 = the average state, 94.6 means pay goes -5.4% less far after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

94.6

Real pay by occupation in Georgia (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Health Education Specialists	$99,400	$98,334	149.8
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	$128,850	$127,270	122.8
Self-Enrichment Teachers	$52,320	$52,077	117.0
Editors	$76,650	$75,982	114.9
School Psychologists	$99,110	$98,049	114.6
Sales Managers	$159,890	$157,767	114.5
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$75,280	$74,636	113.7
Producers and Directors	$79,950	$79,224	113.6
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	$76,750	$76,080	113.6
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other	$69,320	$68,780	113.5
Architectural and Civil Drafters	$74,940	$74,302	113.1
Rehabilitation Counselors	$55,000	$54,710	113.1
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$123,330	$121,846	112.9
Food Batchmakers	$46,490	$46,349	112.6
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks	$47,860	$47,695	112.0
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	$78,760	$78,055	111.0
Financial Managers	$166,790	$164,547	110.6
Purchasing Managers	$155,360	$153,316	110.6
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	$75,380	$74,734	110.4
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	$43,920	$43,824	109.9
Medical and Health Services Managers	$131,910	$130,276	109.6
Tutors	$47,380	$47,224	109.5
Occupational Therapy Assistants	$75,920	$75,265	109.3
Human Resources Managers	$150,700	$148,738	108.8
Interior Designers	$71,760	$71,177	108.3
Physical Therapist Assistants	$72,800	$72,199	107.9
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	$72,880	$72,278	107.5
Biological Scientists, All Other	$96,820	$95,799	107.4
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$75,480	$74,832	107.3
Facilities Managers	$114,360	$113,033	107.0
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	$85,710	$84,884	106.9
Computer and Information Systems Managers	$173,940	$171,572	106.8
Tour and Travel Guides	$40,190	$40,159	106.8
Driver/Sales Workers	$40,040	$40,012	106.4
Chefs and Head Cooks	$66,230	$65,744	106.4
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$72,290	$71,698	106.2
Instructional Coordinators	$81,060	$80,315	106.2
Speech-Language Pathologists	$96,760	$95,741	105.8
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	$59,990	$59,613	105.7
Computer Network Architects	$133,890	$132,222	105.6

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 370 BLS publishes for Georgia. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (96.3, US = 100).

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.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Georgia, a $85,000 salary is worth about $83,514 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $4,582 (flat 5.39%) · take-home $80,419 · BEA cost of living 96.3 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $12,438 gain over Georgia.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$95,952	88.6
2	Arkansas	$93,959	86.9
3	Louisiana	$93,473	88.2
4	Mississippi	$93,453	87.0
5	Iowa	$93,172	87.8
6	North Dakota	$93,161	89.0
7	Tennessee	$92,522	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$92,167	87.8
9	Wyoming	$91,703	92.7
10	Alabama	$90,911	88.8
11	Kentucky	$90,507	90.2
12	West Virginia	$90,397	89.5

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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).

Georgia real pay — FAQ

Is Georgia a good state for your salary to go far?: Georgia ranks #46 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 94.6 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 96.3 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Georgia?: Georgia's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 96.3, where the US average is 100. That is at or below the national average, so a dollar buys as much as or more than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

Compare other states

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates); 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 Georgia is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.