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Take-Home Pay by State
The same salary in all 50 states and DC, ranked by what you keep after taxes.
Data study · May 2025 wages · 2026 taxes
Where a Typical Paycheck Goes Furthest
We took the median wage for all workers in each state, ran it through 2026 federal and state taxes, then adjusted what's left for local prices. District of Columbia comes out on top; Mississippi last — a $23,676 gap in real take-home pay.
Key findings
- District of Columbia leaves its typical worker with the most: $68,416 after tax on a $91,540 median wage, worth $62,252 at national-average prices.
- District of Columbia has the highest median wage ($91,540), but ranks 1 of 51 once taxes and prices are counted.
- Mississippi ranks last: $38,577 in national prices.
- Of the top 10, 3 have no state income tax on wages.
The full ranking
Single filer earning the state's median wage for all occupations, paid biweekly, no pre-tax deductions or local tax.
| Rank | State | Median wage | Take-home (2026) | Taxes & payroll | Price level (US = 100) | Take-home in national prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $91,540 | $68,416 | 25.3% | 109.9 | $62,252 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $52,480 | $44,348 | 15.5% | 89 | $49,852 |
| 3 | Alaska | $61,000 | $50,923 | 16.5% | 102.4 | $49,749 |
| 4 | Washington | $62,990 | $51,919 | 17.6% | 107 | $48,516 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $63,590 | $50,023 | 21.3% | 105.8 | $47,300 |
| 6 | Vermont | $56,390 | $46,034 | 18.4% | 98 | $46,994 |
| 7 | Colorado | $59,800 | $48,043 | 19.7% | 103.1 | $46,621 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $56,920 | $45,318 | 20.4% | 98.6 | $45,951 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $50,270 | $42,572 | 15.3% | 92.7 | $45,929 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $59,690 | $47,310 | 20.7% | 103.6 | $45,661 |
| 11 | Iowa | $48,540 | $39,989 | 17.6% | 87.8 | $45,565 |
| 12 | Maryland | $59,510 | $47,536 | 20.1% | 105 | $45,290 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $55,880 | $47,080 | 15.7% | 104.2 | $45,197 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $47,080 | $40,009 | 15% | 88.6 | $45,164 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $56,780 | $45,666 | 19.6% | 102.3 | $44,648 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $48,980 | $40,186 | 18% | 90.1 | $44,600 |
| 17 | Ohio | $49,380 | $40,942 | 17.1% | 92.8 | $44,131 |
| 18 | Virginia | $55,690 | $44,539 | 20% | 101.1 | $44,053 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $47,380 | $40,250 | 15% | 91.9 | $43,812 |
| 20 | New York | $59,670 | $47,211 | 20.9% | 107.9 | $43,746 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $50,270 | $40,982 | 18.5% | 94.1 | $43,554 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $58,570 | $47,116 | 19.6% | 108.8 | $43,303 |
| 23 | Missouri | $47,800 | $39,278 | 17.8% | 90.8 | $43,250 |
| 24 | Kansas | $48,010 | $38,877 | 19% | 90.1 | $43,164 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $45,520 | $37,776 | 17% | 88.2 | $42,826 |
| 26 | Maine | $51,430 | $41,453 | 19.4% | 97.1 | $42,713 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $46,920 | $38,356 | 18.3% | 90.2 | $42,542 |
| 28 | Texas | $48,620 | $41,246 | 15.2% | 97.1 | $42,497 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $45,600 | $37,313 | 18.2% | 87.8 | $42,477 |
| 30 | Oregon | $57,000 | $43,894 | 23% | 103.4 | $42,467 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $47,210 | $39,051 | 17.3% | 92.2 | $42,349 |
| 32 | California | $58,240 | $46,685 | 19.8% | 110.7 | $42,165 |
| 33 | Montana | $48,740 | $39,809 | 18.3% | 94.6 | $42,061 |
| 34 | Indiana | $47,860 | $39,253 | 18% | 93.3 | $42,059 |
| 35 | Delaware | $52,190 | $41,686 | 20.1% | 99.8 | $41,766 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $45,300 | $37,333 | 17.6% | 89.5 | $41,714 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $47,970 | $39,319 | 18% | 94.3 | $41,684 |
| 38 | Alabama | $45,670 | $36,997 | 19% | 88.8 | $41,653 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $49,690 | $40,546 | 18.4% | 97.6 | $41,555 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $43,630 | $36,110 | 17.2% | 86.9 | $41,536 |
| 41 | Illinois | $51,960 | $41,503 | 20.1% | 100 | $41,520 |
| 42 | Michigan | $49,270 | $39,925 | 19% | 96.2 | $41,495 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $46,490 | $38,768 | 16.6% | 93.7 | $41,353 |
| 44 | Arizona | $50,060 | $41,545 | 17% | 100.7 | $41,266 |
| 45 | Utah | $50,110 | $40,765 | 18.6% | 98.9 | $41,233 |
| 46 | Idaho | $47,970 | $39,290 | 18.1% | 95.5 | $41,144 |
| 47 | Georgia | $48,170 | $39,229 | 18.6% | 96.3 | $40,740 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $56,320 | $44,672 | 20.7% | 110 | $40,629 |
| 49 | Nevada | $47,660 | $40,475 | 15.1% | 100 | $40,483 |
| 50 | Florida | $47,880 | $40,652 | 15.1% | 103.4 | $39,310 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $40,120 | $33,544 | 16.4% | 87 | $38,577 |
Method
- Wages: median annual wage for all occupations in each state, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- Taxes: 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax and employee-paid state programs (such as disability insurance and paid leave), using our paycheck engine. Single filer, standard deduction, no pre-tax deductions, no local income tax. Each state's rules and sources are on its paycheck page.
- Prices: BEA Regional Price Parities for 2024 (all items; U.S. = 100). Take-home in national prices = take-home × 100 ÷ RPP.
Limits: medians describe the middle worker, not every household; local taxes (notable in Maryland, Indiana, New York City, Ohio and Pennsylvania) are excluded; and price parities are state averages that hide big city-versus-rural differences.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 9, 2026.