Wednesday, September 9, 2026·2026 Edition
Best States for a $80K Salary (2026)
All 50 states ranked by take-home pay on a $80K salary. See which state lets you keep the most after federal, state, and FICA taxes.
#1 State
Alaska
$65,055 take-home
States Ranked
50
Median: Arkansas
Spread
$6,443
#1 vs #50 difference
Key Takeaways
On a $80K salary, Alaska lets you keep the most at $65,055 (18.7% effective rate), while Oregon takes the biggest bite, leaving $58,612 (26.7% effective rate). The difference between best and worst is $6,443/year.
The top states for $80K take-home pay are dominated by no-income-tax states. Alaska, Florida, Nevada lead the pack. At this salary level, you’re in the 22–24% federal bracket, so state taxes make a noticeable difference — roughly $6,443 between the extremes.
Full Rankings
| # | State | Tax Rate | Type | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost Index | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 127 | $51,224 |
| 2 | Florida | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 100 | $65,055 |
| 3 | Nevada | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 101 | $64,411 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 108 | $60,236 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 92 | $70,712 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 90 | $72,283 |
| 7 | Texas | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 93 | $69,952 |
| 8 | Washington | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 110 | $59,141 |
| 9 | Wyoming | 0% | None | $65,055 | $5,421 | 18.7% | 94 | $69,207 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 2.5% | Grad. | $64,754 | $5,396 | 19.1% | 92 | $70,385 |
| 11 | Ohio | 2.75% | Flat | $63,571 | $5,298 | 20.5% | 90 | $70,635 |
| 12 | Arizona | 2.5% | Flat | $63,458 | $5,288 | 20.7% | 97 | $65,420 |
| 13 | Louisiana | 3% | Flat | $63,030 | $5,253 | 21.2% | 91 | $69,264 |
| 14 | Iowa | 3.8% | Flat | $62,627 | $5,219 | 21.7% | 89 | $70,367 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 3.07% | Flat | $62,599 | $5,217 | 21.8% | 98 | $63,877 |
| 16 | Mississippi | 4% | Flat | $62,587 | $5,216 | 21.8% | 83 | $75,406 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 5.99% | Grad. | $62,464 | $5,205 | 21.9% | 105 | $59,489 |
| 18 | New Mexico | 5.9% | Grad. | $62,461 | $5,205 | 21.9% | 91 | $68,638 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 3.5% | Flat | $62,373 | $5,198 | 22.0% | 90 | $69,303 |
| 20 | North Carolina | 3.99% | Flat | $62,372 | $5,198 | 22.0% | 95 | $65,654 |
| 21 | Missouri | 4.7% | Grad. | $62,290 | $5,191 | 22.1% | 89 | $69,989 |
| 22 | Colorado | 4.4% | Flat | $62,243 | $5,187 | 22.2% | 105 | $59,279 |
| 23 | Vermont | 8.75% | Grad. | $62,157 | $5,180 | 22.3% | 105 | $59,197 |
| 24 | New Jersey | 10.75% | Grad. | $62,149 | $5,179 | 22.3% | 115 | $54,043 |
| 25 | West Virginia | 4.82% | Grad. | $62,134 | $5,178 | 22.3% | 83 | $74,860 |
| 26 | Arkansas | 3.9% | Grad. | $62,110 | $5,176 | 22.4% | 86 | $72,221 |
| 27 | Nebraska | 4.55% | Grad. | $62,077 | $5,173 | 22.4% | 91 | $68,216 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 4.5% | Grad. | $61,911 | $5,159 | 22.6% | 87 | $71,162 |
| 29 | Michigan | 4.25% | Flat | $61,902 | $5,158 | 22.6% | 91 | $68,024 |
| 30 | Montana | 5.65% | Grad. | $61,896 | $5,158 | 22.6% | 97 | $63,810 |
| 31 | South Carolina | 6% | Grad. | $61,863 | $5,155 | 22.7% | 92 | $67,242 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 7.65% | Grad. | $61,758 | $5,147 | 22.8% | 93 | $66,407 |
| 33 | Alabama | 5% | Grad. | $61,736 | $5,145 | 22.8% | 88 | $70,155 |
| 34 | Idaho | 5.3% | Flat | $61,668 | $5,139 | 22.9% | 95 | $64,914 |
| 35 | California | 13.3% | Grad. | $61,588 | $5,132 | 23.0% | 142 | $43,372 |
| 36 | Georgia | 5.19% | Flat | $61,526 | $5,127 | 23.1% | 93 | $66,157 |
| 37 | Utah | 4.45% | Flat | $61,495 | $5,125 | 23.1% | 99 | $62,116 |
| 38 | Connecticut | 6.99% | Grad. | $61,405 | $5,117 | 23.2% | 111 | $55,320 |
| 39 | Kansas | 5.58% | Grad. | $61,391 | $5,116 | 23.3% | 90 | $68,212 |
| 40 | Indiana | 2.95% | Flat | $61,342 | $5,112 | 23.3% | 90 | $68,158 |
| 41 | New York | 10.9% | Grad. | $61,332 | $5,111 | 23.3% | 125 | $49,066 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | 5% | Flat | $61,275 | $5,106 | 23.4% | 118 | $51,928 |
| 43 | Illinois | 4.95% | Flat | $61,236 | $5,103 | 23.5% | 93 | $65,845 |
| 44 | Virginia | 5.75% | Grad. | $61,201 | $5,100 | 23.5% | 103 | $59,419 |
| 45 | Delaware | 6.6% | Grad. | $61,168 | $5,097 | 23.5% | 102 | $59,968 |
| 46 | Minnesota | 9.85% | Grad. | $61,104 | $5,092 | 23.6% | 99 | $61,721 |
| 47 | Maine | 7.15% | Grad. | $60,995 | $5,083 | 23.8% | 98 | $62,239 |
| 48 | Hawaii | 11% | Grad. | $60,692 | $5,058 | 24.1% | 192 | $31,610 |
| 49 | Maryland | 6.5% | Grad. | $59,167 | $4,931 | 26.0% | 112 | $52,828 |
| 50 | Oregon | 9.9% | Grad. | $58,612 | $4,884 | 26.7% | 110 | $53,284 |
Pro Tip
At $80K, maximizing your employer’s 401(k) match is the single best tax move. Every matched dollar is a 100% return.