Best states for internal medicine
Ranked by what's actually left: each state's wage, minus estimated federal, FICA and state income tax, then adjusted for local prices. The biggest headline salary is often not the best deal.
For internal medicine, adjusted take-home is highest in South Dakota at $264,639 — about 149% further than New Jersey, the lowest of the 44 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $331,820 | $234,470 | $264,639 |
| 2 | Georgia | $388,060 | $249,435 | $259,019 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $319,790 | $221,605 | $248,994 |
| 4 | Indiana | $339,500 | $229,096 | $245,548 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $387,730 | $238,347 | $241,731 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $334,100 | $219,306 | $233,056 |
| 7 | Maine | $349,150 | $221,944 | $228,573 |
| 8 | Alabama | $294,500 | $196,554 | $221,345 |
| 9 | South Carolina | $315,380 | $206,224 | $220,090 |
| 10 | Alaska | $317,260 | $225,348 | $220,066 |
| 11 | Idaho | $317,600 | $208,328 | $218,145 |
| 12 | Washington | $327,250 | $231,607 | $216,455 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $275,760 | $187,756 | $215,811 |
| 14 | Ohio | $286,650 | $197,604 | $212,935 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $270,930 | $183,943 | $209,502 |
| 16 | Utah | $303,040 | $202,651 | $204,905 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $283,840 | $192,889 | $204,548 |
| 18 | Missouri | $259,950 | $177,939 | $195,968 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $298,550 | $199,447 | $194,963 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $250,140 | $172,961 | $191,753 |
| 21 | Vermont | $287,550 | $187,721 | $191,552 |
| 22 | Texas | $254,300 | $185,567 | $191,109 |
| 23 | Colorado | $291,400 | $196,985 | $191,062 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $238,520 | $168,427 | $190,960 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $238,020 | $174,879 | $190,293 |
| 26 | Florida | $266,790 | $193,728 | $187,358 |
| 27 | Oregon | $294,070 | $183,730 | $177,689 |
| 28 | Maryland | $276,280 | $185,558 | $176,722 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $226,440 | $156,427 | $173,615 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $210,540 | $148,666 | $171,077 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $226,950 | $160,644 | $164,594 |
| 32 | Arizona | $230,970 | $164,851 | $163,705 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $253,080 | $172,112 | $162,677 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $229,630 | $169,371 | $162,544 |
| 35 | California | $273,270 | $176,347 | $159,302 |
| 36 | Iowa | $191,200 | $135,109 | $153,883 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $189,160 | $132,575 | $148,128 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $216,230 | $148,769 | $143,599 |
| 39 | Michigan | $194,040 | $136,245 | $141,627 |
| 40 | New York | $213,360 | $146,936 | $136,178 |
| 41 | Illinois | $192,450 | $133,780 | $133,780 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $207,560 | $139,735 | $127,147 |
| 43 | Nevada | $162,050 | $121,514 | $121,514 |
| 44 | New Jersey | $165,650 | $115,549 | $106,203 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“General Internal Medicine Physicians”, May 2025); take-home estimated for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only — Tax Foundation for state brackets); adjusted using U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) price levels where US average = 100. Only states with both a published wage and a published price level can be ranked honestly, so 44 states appear. This is an estimate for comparison, not tax advice, and wages exclude many self-employed/partnership physicians. VitalPost shows sourced public data for context only.