Research Hub Foundation
Best States for Take-Home Pay in 2026
This study ranks all 51 jurisdictions by net take-home pay after federal income tax, FICA, and state income tax. Use the salary-tier controls, review the methodology, and jump directly into state-specific calculators.
Key Findings
- Highest take-home at $75,000: Alaska keeps $61,593 per year.
- Texas vs California at $100,000: Texas keeps about $7,029 more per year.
- No-income-tax states still vary: Washington and New Hampshire differ from Texas and Florida once payroll programs and income-tax treatment are modeled.
$75,000 salary rankings
| Rank | State | Annual Net | Monthly Net | Effective Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 2 | Florida | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 3 | Nevada | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 5 | South Dakota | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 6 | Tennessee | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 7 | Texas | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 8 | Vermont | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 9 | Wyoming | $61,593 | $5,133 | 17.9% |
| 10 | North Dakota | $61,255 | $5,105 | 18.3% |
| 11 | Washington | $60,987 | $5,082 | 18.7% |
| 12 | Ohio | $60,246 | $5,021 | 19.7% |
| 13 | Arizona | $60,093 | $5,008 | 19.9% |
| 14 | Louisiana | $59,673 | $4,973 | 20.4% |
| 15 | Arkansas | $59,519 | $4,960 | 20.6% |
| 16 | Indiana | $59,410 | $4,951 | 20.8% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $59,367 | $4,947 | 20.8% |
| 18 | Mississippi | $59,331 | $4,944 | 20.9% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $59,290 | $4,941 | 20.9% |
| 20 | Iowa | $59,237 | $4,936 | 21.0% |
| 21 | Kentucky | $59,085 | $4,924 | 21.2% |
| 22 | West Virginia | $59,047 | $4,921 | 21.3% |
| 23 | North Carolina | $59,045 | $4,920 | 21.3% |
| 24 | Connecticut | $59,043 | $4,920 | 21.3% |
| 25 | Missouri | $58,993 | $4,916 | 21.3% |
| 26 | Virginia | $58,928 | $4,911 | 21.4% |
| 27 | New Mexico | $58,912 | $4,909 | 21.5% |
| 28 | Montana | $58,707 | $4,892 | 21.7% |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $58,707 | $4,892 | 21.7% |
| 30 | Nebraska | $58,687 | $4,891 | 21.8% |
| 31 | Georgia | $58,599 | $4,883 | 21.9% |
| 32 | Colorado | $58,535 | $4,878 | 22.0% |
| 33 | Idaho | $58,421 | $4,868 | 22.1% |
| 34 | New Jersey | $58,413 | $4,868 | 22.1% |
| 35 | Michigan | $58,405 | $4,867 | 22.1% |
| 36 | Maryland | $58,349 | $4,862 | 22.2% |
| 37 | Utah | $58,255 | $4,855 | 22.3% |
| 38 | Kansas | $58,213 | $4,851 | 22.4% |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $58,164 | $4,847 | 22.4% |
| 40 | Maine | $58,100 | $4,842 | 22.5% |
| 41 | Alabama | $58,083 | $4,840 | 22.6% |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $57,955 | $4,830 | 22.7% |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $57,943 | $4,829 | 22.7% |
| 44 | Illinois | $57,880 | $4,823 | 22.8% |
| 45 | Delaware | $57,874 | $4,823 | 22.8% |
| 46 | South Carolina | $57,749 | $4,812 | 23.0% |
| 47 | New York | $57,749 | $4,812 | 23.0% |
| 48 | California | $57,397 | $4,783 | 23.5% |
| 49 | Hawaii | $57,332 | $4,778 | 23.6% |
| 50 | Minnesota | $57,303 | $4,775 | 23.6% |
| 51 | Oregon | $55,763 | $4,647 | 25.6% |
Top 10 states by net annual pay at $75,000
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All 51 jurisdictions at $100,000 salary
The table below ranks every jurisdiction at a $100,000 salary under a uniform single-filer, biweekly-pay scenario, with direct links to each matching salary result page.
| Rank | State | Net annual pay | Federal tax | State tax | FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 2 | Florida | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 3 | Nevada | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 7 | Texas | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 8 | Vermont | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $79,180 | $13,170 | $0 | $7,650 |
| 10 | Washington | $78,373 | $13,170 | $807 | $7,650 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $78,348 | $13,170 | $832 | $7,650 |
| 12 | Arizona | $77,180 | $13,170 | $2,000 | $7,650 |
| 13 | Ohio | $77,146 | $13,170 | $2,034 | $7,650 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $76,488 | $13,170 | $2,692 | $7,650 |
| 15 | Indiana | $76,260 | $13,170 | $2,921 | $7,650 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $76,181 | $13,170 | $2,999 | $7,650 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $76,110 | $13,170 | $3,070 | $7,650 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $75,904 | $13,170 | $3,276 | $7,650 |
| 19 | Iowa | $75,874 | $13,170 | $3,306 | $7,650 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $75,798 | $13,170 | $3,382 | $7,650 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,629 | $13,170 | $3,551 | $7,650 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $75,618 | $13,170 | $3,562 | $7,650 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $75,489 | $13,170 | $3,691 | $7,650 |
| 24 | Missouri | $75,410 | $13,170 | $3,770 | $7,650 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $75,275 | $13,170 | $3,905 | $7,650 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $75,255 | $13,170 | $3,925 | $7,650 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $75,176 | $13,170 | $4,004 | $7,650 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $75,125 | $13,170 | $4,055 | $7,650 |
| 29 | Virginia | $75,078 | $13,170 | $4,103 | $7,650 |
| 30 | Colorado | $75,022 | $13,170 | $4,158 | $7,650 |
| 31 | Georgia | $74,939 | $13,170 | $4,242 | $7,650 |
| 32 | Michigan | $74,930 | $13,170 | $4,250 | $7,650 |
| 33 | Montana | $74,864 | $13,170 | $4,316 | $7,650 |
| 34 | Maryland | $74,749 | $13,170 | $4,432 | $7,650 |
| 35 | Utah | $74,730 | $13,170 | $4,450 | $7,650 |
| 36 | Idaho | $74,682 | $13,170 | $4,498 | $7,650 |
| 37 | Alabama | $74,420 | $13,170 | $4,760 | $7,650 |
| 38 | Kansas | $74,396 | $13,170 | $4,784 | $7,650 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $74,280 | $13,170 | $4,900 | $7,650 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $74,275 | $13,170 | $4,905 | $7,650 |
| 41 | Illinois | $74,230 | $13,170 | $4,950 | $7,650 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $74,151 | $13,170 | $5,030 | $7,650 |
| 43 | Maine | $73,925 | $13,170 | $5,255 | $7,650 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $73,836 | $13,170 | $5,344 | $7,650 |
| 45 | Delaware | $73,811 | $13,170 | $5,369 | $7,650 |
| 46 | New York | $73,796 | $13,170 | $5,384 | $7,650 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $73,649 | $13,170 | $5,532 | $7,650 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $73,174 | $13,170 | $6,006 | $7,650 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $73,020 | $13,170 | $6,160 | $7,650 |
| 50 | California | $72,151 | $13,170 | $7,029 | $7,650 |
| 51 | Oregon | $71,163 | $13,170 | $8,017 | $7,650 |
No-income-tax states still need a calculator
A zero state income-tax line does not guarantee the same take-home outcome. Payroll taxes are identical nationwide, and state-specific payroll programs can still shift net pay.
Bottom-ranked states at $100,000 salary
| Rank | State | Net annual pay | Less than #Alaska |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Oregon | $71,163 | $8,017 |
| 50 | California | $72,151 | $7,029 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $73,020 | $6,160 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $73,174 | $6,006 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $73,649 | $5,532 |
10 jurisdiction spot checks
These direct links let you verify the same $100,000 scenario against the state salary result pages used in the rest of the site.
| Jurisdiction | Net annual pay | Result page |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $79,180 | /salary/100k/texas/ |
| Florida | $79,180 | /salary/100k/florida/ |
| Washington | $78,373 | /salary/100k/washington/ |
| Tennessee | $79,180 | /salary/100k/tennessee/ |
| New Hampshire | $79,180 | /salary/100k/new-hampshire/ |
| California | $72,151 | /salary/100k/california/ |
| New York | $73,796 | /salary/100k/new-york/ |
| Oregon | $71,163 | /salary/100k/oregon/ |
| Massachusetts | $74,280 | /salary/100k/massachusetts/ |
| District of Columbia | $73,649 | /salary/100k/district-of-columbia/ |
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Cite This Study
APA:
ExactTakeHome Team. (2026). Best States for Take-Home Pay in 2026. ExactTakeHome.
https://exacttakehome.com/research/best-states-take-home-pay/
BibTeX:
@misc{exacttakehome2026beststatestakehomepay,
title = {Best States for Take-Home Pay in 2026},
author = {{ExactTakeHome Team}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://exacttakehome.com/research/best-states-take-home-pay/},
note = {Accessed June 2026}
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Methodology
Rankings are generated from the ExactTakeHome engine using 2026 federal withholding tables, FICA rules, and state income tax data. Every jurisdiction is modeled with the same assumptions: single filer, biweekly pay, standard withholding, no pre-tax deductions, and no local wage taxes unless a state-level formula requires them.
The interactive tables on this page cover five salary tiers: $50,000, $75,000, $100,000, $150,000, and $200,000. Use the linked state calculators to rerun the same scenarios with your own filing status, deductions, and salary.