Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Arizona is 14.2% more expensive overall than Louisiana.
What Other surgical specialties pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
Louisiana
- Median pay
- $544,450
- After tax
- $351,724
$398,780worth here
Arizona
- Median pay
- $432,580
- After tax
- $287,156
$285,160worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2024 — “Surgeons, All Other”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | Louisiana | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 88.2 | 100.7 |
| Housing (rent) | 63.1 | 106.8 |
| Utilities | 71.5 | 92.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.8 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 3% | 2.50% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 10.12% | 8.41% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.55% | 0.44% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 4,621,025 | 7,268,175 |
| Median household income | $60,023 | $76,872 |
| Median age | 37.8 | 38.8 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.30% | 67% |
| Median home value | $208,700 | $358,900 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
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VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.