Vet Tech Salary Adjusted for Cost of Living: Which States Pay the Most in Real Terms?
California pays $55,740 but costs 113.4% of the national average. Washington pays $54,460 at 106.8%. After adjustment, the gap narrows and some states leap up the rankings while others fall. This is the page no competitor has.
Biggest Winners After COL Adjustment
States that rank much higher after accounting for cost of living
Biggest Losers After COL Adjustment
States that rank much lower after accounting for cost of living
| State | Raw Salary | COL Index | Adjusted Salary↓ | Adj Rank | Raw Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $54,460 | 106.8 | $50,993 | #1 | #3 | +2 |
| California | $55,740 | 113.4 | $49,153 | #2 | #1 | -1 |
| New York | $55,540 | 115.7 | $48,003 | #3 | #2 | -1 |
| Connecticut | $50,760 | 107.5 | $47,219 | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| Oregon | $47,860 | 101.8 | $47,014 | #5 | #8 | +3 |
| Massachusetts | $50,240 | 108.6 | $46,262 | #6 | #5 | -1 |
| Minnesota | $45,280 | 98.1 | $46,157 | #7 | #13 | +6 |
| Michigan | $42,560 | 93.1 | $45,714 | #8 | #22 | +14 |
| Wisconsin | $42,180 | 93.4 | $45,161 | #9 | #24 | +15 |
| Ohio | $41,240 | 91.5 | $45,071 | #10 | #28 | +18 |
| Alaska | $47,280 | 105.4 | $44,858 | #11 | #9 | -2 |
| Colorado | $47,120 | 105.1 | $44,833 | #12 | #10 | -2 |
| Nevada | $44,760 | 100.3 | $44,626 | #13 | #14 | +1 |
| Illinois | $43,820 | 98.2 | $44,623 | #14 | #17 | +3 |
| North Carolina | $41,860 | 94.0 | $44,532 | #15 | #25 | +10 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,280 | 97.3 | $44,481 | #16 | #19 | +3 |
| New Hampshire | $46,280 | 104.2 | $44,415 | #17 | #11 | -6 |
| North Dakota | $40,640 | 92.4 | $43,983 | #18 | #30 | +12 |
| Indiana | $40,120 | 91.3 | $43,943 | #19 | #33 | +14 |
| Texas | $42,360 | 96.4 | $43,942 | #20 | #23 | +3 |
| Rhode Island | $44,120 | 101.1 | $43,640 | #21 | #16 | -5 |
| Iowa | $39,260 | 90.4 | $43,429 | #22 | #37 | +15 |
| Missouri | $39,080 | 90.0 | $43,422 | #23 | #38 | +15 |
| New Jersey | $48,920 | 112.8 | $43,369 | #24 | #7 | -17 |
| Nebraska | $39,540 | 91.3 | $43,308 | #25 | #35 | +10 |
| Georgia | $40,280 | 93.2 | $43,219 | #26 | #31 | +5 |
| Maine | $42,780 | 99.4 | $43,038 | #27 | #21 | -6 |
| Virginia | $44,580 | 103.6 | $43,031 | #28 | #15 | -13 |
| Kansas | $38,920 | 90.8 | $42,863 | #29 | #39 | +10 |
| Delaware | $43,620 | 102.2 | $42,681 | #30 | #18 | -12 |
| South Dakota | $38,360 | 90.2 | $42,528 | #31 | #43 | +12 |
| Vermont | $43,140 | 101.9 | $42,336 | #32 | #20 | -12 |
| Wyoming | $39,780 | 94.1 | $42,274 | #33 | #34 | +1 |
| Maryland | $45,660 | 108.1 | $42,239 | #34 | #12 | -22 |
| Kentucky | $37,640 | 89.2 | $42,197 | #35 | #44 | +9 |
| South Carolina | $38,740 | 91.9 | $42,155 | #36 | #40 | +4 |
| Tennessee | $38,480 | 91.4 | $42,101 | #37 | #41 | +4 |
| Hawaii | $49,860 | 119.3 | $41,794 | #38 | #6 | -32 |
| Montana | $40,160 | 96.2 | $41,746 | #39 | #32 | -7 |
| Utah | $41,860 | 100.3 | $41,735 | #40 | #26 | -14 |
| Alabama | $36,240 | 87.1 | $41,607 | #41 | #47 | +6 |
| West Virginia | $35,820 | 86.4 | $41,458 | #42 | #48 | +6 |
| Arizona | $41,580 | 100.5 | $41,373 | #43 | #27 | -16 |
| Oklahoma | $36,840 | 89.1 | $41,347 | #44 | #45 | +1 |
| Idaho | $39,480 | 95.8 | $41,211 | #45 | #36 | -9 |
| Arkansas | $35,440 | 86.9 | $40,783 | #46 | #49 | +3 |
| New Mexico | $38,460 | 94.6 | $40,655 | #47 | #42 | -5 |
| Mississippi | $34,820 | 85.7 | $40,630 | #48 | #50 | +2 |
| Louisiana | $36,560 | 90.5 | $40,398 | #49 | #46 | -3 |
| Florida | $40,720 | 100.9 | $40,357 | #50 | #29 | -21 |
COL-Adjusted Salary = (Raw Salary / Regional Price Parity) x 100. Source: BLS May 2024, BEA Regional Price Parities.
What COL Adjustment Means for Career Decisions
Example: California vs Colorado
The raw gap of $8,620 shrinks to $4,320 after COL adjustment.
Key Takeaways
- •High-salary states like California and New York lose significant purchasing power after COL adjustment.
- •Midwest and Southern states often provide better value than raw numbers suggest.
- •Washington offers the best combination of high salary and relatively moderate COL among top-paying states.
- •COL adjustment does not capture everything. State income tax, housing availability, and commute time also matter.
- •Consider metro-level COL variation within states. Rural California is far cheaper than San Francisco.
Methodology
We use the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPPs) to adjust BLS salary data. RPPs measure the differences in price levels across states for consumer goods and services including rents. A COL index of 100 represents the national average. California at 113.4 means prices are 13.4% above average. Mississippi at 85.7 means prices are 14.3% below average. The formula is simple: COL-Adjusted Salary = (Raw Salary / RPP) x 100. This is a useful but imperfect measure. It does not account for within-state variation (rural vs urban), state income taxes, or individual spending patterns.