Compare take-home pay across states
Hold salary, filing status, dependents, retirement savings, and pay frequency constant while the selected state tax profiles change.
Ready-made comparisons
Each holds one profile constant and varies only the states.
- Texas vs. California Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Florida vs. Massachusetts Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Oregon vs. Idaho Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Illinois vs. Indiana Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Massachusetts vs. Georgia Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Colorado vs. Texas Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Illinois vs. Texas Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Nevada vs. California Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Tennessee vs. Georgia Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Massachusetts vs. New Hampshire Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Virginia vs. Tennessee Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- California vs. Colorado Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- New York vs. Florida Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- New York vs. Texas Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Washington vs. Oregon Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Arizona vs. California Paycheck Comparison [2026]
- Pennsylvania vs. New Jersey Paycheck Comparison [2026]
Common questions
How do I compare take-home pay between states?
Hold the salary and filing status constant and change only the state, which is what these comparisons do. Any difference that remains is state income tax and state payroll assessments, because federal tax and FICA are identical across every state.
How many states can I compare at once?
Up to five, using the interactive tool above — pick any states and any count from two to five. The 17 curated comparisons linked below are fixed at three: two states people commonly weigh against each other, plus a reference point, usually a neighbour or a state with no wage tax, so the pair has something to be measured against.
Does a comparison account for cost of living?
No. These figures are tax only. Housing, insurance and sales tax routinely reverse the order, and a state that leaves more of a paycheck is frequently a more expensive place to spend it. Treat the comparison as the tax half of the decision.