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

Nebraska ranks #17 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 101.5 across 371 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 90.1 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Nebraska?

Nebraska's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 90.1, 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 / Nebraska

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Nebraska

Nebraska ranks #17 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 101.5, base = 100). Cost of living 90.1 (US = 100); top income tax 5.20%.

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

In Nebraska, the cost of living is 90.1 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 101.5 across 371 occupations, ranking it #17 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

Nebraska ranks #17 of 51 states. Mean across 371 occupations; 100 = the average state, 101.5 means pay goes 1.5% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

101.5

Real pay by occupation in Nebraska (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Manicurists and Pedicurists	$56,940	$61,125	163.9
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	$66,890	$71,593	140.7
Psychiatric Technicians	$57,370	$61,577	137.9
Skincare Specialists	$58,420	$62,682	135.4
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	$47,580	$51,277	129.6
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health	$66,240	$70,910	129.5
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	$47,040	$50,708	127.2
Environmental Engineers	$120,620	$128,124	123.4
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$88,610	$94,446	122.7
Residential Advisors	$45,980	$49,590	122.1
Medical Transcriptionists	$45,880	$49,485	121.4
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$100,530	$106,987	119.8
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	$104,420	$111,080	119.3
Helpers--Production Workers	$45,020	$48,578	118.3
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	$78,950	$84,282	118.3
Parts Salespersons	$45,100	$48,663	118.1
Packers and Packagers, Hand	$38,880	$42,105	117.4
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	$39,530	$42,790	117.4
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	$46,220	$49,843	116.0
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	$63,770	$68,311	115.1
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$63,380	$67,901	114.7
Firefighters	$61,040	$65,439	114.6
Medical Assistants	$47,370	$51,056	114.4
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$48,500	$52,245	114.4
Food Preparation Workers	$35,210	$38,236	113.4
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	$37,160	$40,292	113.3
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	$53,880	$57,905	112.9
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping	$49,090	$52,866	112.8
Conservation Scientists	$76,400	$81,599	112.7
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	$42,910	$46,354	112.6
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$48,690	$52,445	112.5
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other	$77,150	$82,388	112.4
Loan Officers	$79,840	$85,219	112.2
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	$36,150	$39,227	111.9
Chemical Technicians	$62,640	$67,122	111.8
Instructional Coordinators	$79,150	$84,493	111.7
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$106,100	$112,847	111.6
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$78,450	$83,756	111.4
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	$34,790	$37,793	111.2
Civil Engineers	$103,150	$109,744	111.1

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 371 BLS publishes for Nebraska. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (90.1, 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 Nebraska, a $85,000 salary is worth about $89,431 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $4,420 (≈ top marginal 5.20% (upper bound)) · take-home $80,580 · BEA cost of living 90.1 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $6,521 gain over Nebraska.

#	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).

Nebraska real pay — FAQ

Is Nebraska a good state for your salary to go far?: Nebraska ranks #17 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 101.5 across 371 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 90.1 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Nebraska?: Nebraska's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 90.1, 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 Nebraska is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.