Best states for ophthalmology
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 ophthalmology, adjusted take-home is highest in Iowa at $266,469 — about 88% further than Kentucky, the lowest of the 34 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $352,380 | $233,960 | $266,469 |
| 2 | Florida | $391,060 | $271,584 | $262,654 |
| 3 | Ohio | $339,480 | $228,853 | $246,609 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $373,600 | $230,886 | $234,164 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $346,190 | $243,473 | $233,659 |
| 6 | Georgia | $342,700 | $223,461 | $232,047 |
| 7 | Texas | $316,220 | $224,696 | $231,407 |
| 8 | Missouri | $295,990 | $198,992 | $219,154 |
| 9 | Alabama | $289,830 | $193,862 | $218,313 |
| 10 | Washington | $330,130 | $233,411 | $218,141 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $336,620 | $221,018 | $216,049 |
| 12 | Maine | $320,460 | $206,021 | $212,174 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $268,340 | $194,700 | $211,861 |
| 14 | Oregon | $357,880 | $217,390 | $210,242 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $299,730 | $205,164 | $210,209 |
| 16 | New York | $353,390 | $226,723 | $210,123 |
| 17 | Nevada | $291,710 | $209,341 | $209,341 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $255,110 | $176,329 | $202,910 |
| 19 | Colorado | $312,170 | $209,084 | $202,797 |
| 20 | Indiana | $271,760 | $188,689 | $202,239 |
| 21 | Virginia | $301,640 | $198,964 | $196,799 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $275,240 | $183,565 | $195,907 |
| 23 | California | $347,690 | $216,050 | $195,167 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $267,540 | $181,134 | $192,491 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $225,800 | $166,857 | $188,326 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $297,280 | $197,966 | $187,113 |
| 27 | Michigan | $258,160 | $177,129 | $184,126 |
| 28 | Illinois | $260,500 | $176,742 | $176,742 |
| 29 | Utah | $250,050 | $171,399 | $173,305 |
| 30 | Vermont | $254,130 | $169,366 | $172,822 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $207,100 | $144,817 | $164,940 |
| 32 | Maryland | $227,450 | $156,568 | $149,112 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $175,570 | $125,863 | $142,702 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $181,520 | $128,028 | $141,938 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric”, 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 34 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.