Take-Home Pay Index 2026
The Take-Home Pay Index 2026 ranks all 50 states + DC by the net pay a single filer keeps from a $75,000 salary. Nine no-income-tax states tie for #1 at $61,593 kept; Oregon is last at $55,529 — a $6,064 yearly gap on identical gross pay. Every figure comes from our IRS- and DOR-verified engine, with $50k and $100k views in the same table.
Which states keep the most of a $75k salary?
Alaska, Florida, Nevada — each nets $61,593 or more, because no state wage tax comes out of the paycheck.
Which states keep the least?
Maine, Hawaii, Oregon sit at the bottom: high progressive brackets plus payroll add-ons push nets down to $55,529.
How many dollars per $1,000 do you keep?
From $821 per $1,000 in Alaska down to $740 in Oregon. The median state keeps $786.
What is the best-to-worst gap worth?
$6,064 a year at $75,000 — the same salary, just a different state line on the W-4. That is the single biggest payroll lever most workers never pull.
How do all 51 jurisdictions rank in 2026?
Ranked by net pay on a $75,000 single-filer salary. The $50k and $100k columns show how the picture shifts with income. “Kept per $1k” is the dollars you keep out of every $1,000 earned.
| Rank | State | Net @ $75k | Kept per $1k | Eff. rate | Net @ $50k | Net @ $100k | vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 2 | Florida | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 3 | Nevada | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 7 | Texas | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 8 | Washington | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $61,593 | $821 | 17.9% | $42,355 | $79,180 | +$2,638 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $61,389 | $819 | 18.1% | $42,355 | $78,489 | +$2,434 |
| 11 | Ohio | $60,246 | $803 | 19.7% | $41,696 | $77,146 | +$1,291 |
| 12 | Arizona | $59,926 | $799 | 20.1% | $41,314 | $76,889 | +$971 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $59,729 | $796 | 20.4% | $41,241 | $76,566 | +$774 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $59,433 | $792 | 20.8% | $41,498 | $75,718 | +$478 |
| 15 | Indiana | $59,410 | $792 | 20.8% | $40,910 | $76,260 | +$455 |
| 16 | Iowa | $59,354 | $791 | 20.9% | $41,067 | $75,992 | +$399 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $59,290 | $791 | 20.9% | $40,820 | $76,110 | +$335 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $59,276 | $790 | 21.0% | $40,964 | $75,939 | +$321 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $59,233 | $790 | 21.0% | $41,171 | $75,611 | +$278 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $59,200 | $789 | 21.1% | $40,900 | $75,783 | +$245 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $59,109 | $788 | 21.2% | $40,869 | $75,699 | +$154 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $59,085 | $788 | 21.2% | $40,723 | $75,798 | +$130 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $59,085 | $788 | 21.2% | $40,847 | $75,672 | +$130 |
| 24 | Missouri | $59,005 | $787 | 21.3% | $40,942 | $75,417 | +$50 |
| 25 | Colorado | $59,001 | $787 | 21.3% | $40,863 | $75,488 | +$46 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $58,955 | $786 | 21.4% | $40,827 | $75,398 | +$0 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $58,944 | $786 | 21.4% | $40,901 | $75,206 | −$11 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $58,940 | $786 | 21.4% | $41,085 | $74,935 | −$16 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $58,884 | $785 | 21.5% | $40,784 | $75,334 | −$71 |
| 30 | Vermont | $58,753 | $783 | 21.7% | $40,936 | $74,690 | −$202 |
| 31 | Montana | $58,716 | $783 | 21.7% | $40,762 | $74,891 | −$239 |
| 32 | Michigan | $58,656 | $782 | 21.8% | $40,481 | $75,181 | −$299 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $58,624 | $782 | 21.8% | $40,512 | $75,087 | −$331 |
| 34 | Georgia | $58,599 | $781 | 21.9% | $40,609 | $74,939 | −$357 |
| 35 | Idaho | $58,471 | $780 | 22.0% | $40,558 | $74,733 | −$484 |
| 36 | Utah | $58,255 | $777 | 22.3% | $40,130 | $74,730 | −$700 |
| 37 | Maryland | $58,242 | $777 | 22.3% | $40,192 | $74,642 | −$713 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $58,218 | $776 | 22.4% | $40,355 | $74,430 | −$738 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $58,164 | $776 | 22.4% | $40,521 | $73,649 | −$791 |
| 40 | New York | $58,140 | $775 | 22.5% | $40,252 | $74,320 | −$816 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $58,063 | $774 | 22.6% | $40,075 | $74,400 | −$893 |
| 42 | Virginia | $58,041 | $774 | 22.6% | $40,241 | $74,191 | −$914 |
| 43 | Alabama | $58,033 | $774 | 22.6% | $40,045 | $74,370 | −$923 |
| 44 | Illinois | $58,025 | $774 | 22.6% | $40,025 | $74,375 | −$930 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $58,016 | $774 | 22.6% | $40,478 | $73,903 | −$939 |
| 46 | Delaware | $57,874 | $772 | 22.8% | $40,147 | $73,811 | −$1,082 |
| 47 | Kansas | $57,696 | $769 | 23.1% | $39,854 | $73,889 | −$1,259 |
| 48 | California | $57,677 | $769 | 23.1% | $40,503 | $72,657 | −$1,278 |
| 49 | Maine | $57,347 | $765 | 23.5% | $39,804 | $73,147 | −$1,608 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $57,336 | $764 | 23.6% | $39,989 | $73,023 | −$1,619 |
| 51 | Oregon | $55,529 | $740 | 26.0% | $38,504 | $70,904 | −$3,426 |
What does the best-vs-worst gap look like?
$75,000 gross, single filer, 2026
- Alaska$61,593+$2,638
- Florida$61,593+$2,638
- Nevada$61,593+$2,638
- West Virginia (median)this state$58,955
- Maine$57,347−$1,608
- Hawaii$57,336−$1,619
- Oregon$55,529−$3,426
How is the index calculated?
- Take one benchmark salary — $75,000, single filer, no 401(k) or pre-tax deductions.
- Apply 2026 federal law: brackets and standard deduction from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
- Apply FICA: 6.2% Social Security (up to the 2026 SSA wage base) and 1.45% Medicare.
- Apply each state's own 2026 income-tax schedule and payroll add-ons (SDI, PFML) from its Department of Revenue.
- Rank the 51 resulting net-pay figures, highest first; repeat at $50,000 and $100,000.
Why do rankings shift between $50k and $100k?
Flat-tax states hold their position at any salary. Progressive states slide as income grows, because higher brackets start to bite. A state can be mid-table at $50,000 and bottom-ten at $100,000 — check the column that matches your salary, not just the headline rank.
How does your own paycheck compare?
Run your exact salary, filing status and 401(k) through the same engine the index uses.
What does the index look like on the map?
Can I embed this chart?
Yes — the index chart is free to embed in articles and research notes. Keep the credit link intact. More widgets on the widgets page.
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src="https://statetakehome.com/widgets/take-home-index"
title="Take-Home Pay Index 2026 — StateTakeHome"
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<p>Chart:
<a href="https://statetakehome.com/take-home-pay-index">Take-Home Pay Index 2026 — StateTakeHome</a>
</p>Need the raw numbers? The full dataset (1,122 observations, CC BY 4.0) is on our open-data page.