Best states for orthopedic surgery
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 orthopedic surgery, adjusted take-home is highest in Missouri at $428,540 — about 182% further than California, the lowest of the 31 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | $624,070 | $389,114 | $428,540 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $523,450 | $332,035 | $381,649 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $522,050 | $329,325 | $367,961 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $592,220 | $346,318 | $351,235 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $535,750 | $330,278 | $350,986 |
| 6 | Arizona | $542,140 | $353,057 | $350,603 |
| 7 | Montana | $509,240 | $316,716 | $334,795 |
| 8 | Georgia | $503,390 | $315,472 | $327,593 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $456,110 | $289,545 | $321,360 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $419,180 | $269,780 | $307,267 |
| 11 | Florida | $462,360 | $316,253 | $305,854 |
| 12 | Washington | $464,800 | $317,782 | $296,993 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $441,460 | $303,159 | $290,940 |
| 14 | Michigan | $420,390 | $272,092 | $282,840 |
| 15 | Virginia | $432,290 | $273,304 | $270,330 |
| 16 | Illinois | $409,500 | $262,866 | $262,866 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $341,820 | $240,735 | $261,953 |
| 18 | Texas | $363,410 | $254,261 | $261,855 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $372,620 | $244,737 | $259,530 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $332,090 | $221,867 | $255,313 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $363,580 | $243,206 | $249,186 |
| 22 | Colorado | $374,610 | $245,455 | $238,075 |
| 23 | Iowa | $294,930 | $200,151 | $227,962 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $368,800 | $239,198 | $226,085 |
| 25 | Kansas | $307,370 | $202,289 | $224,516 |
| 26 | Ohio | $299,520 | $205,217 | $221,139 |
| 27 | Alabama | $287,150 | $192,317 | $216,573 |
| 28 | New York | $364,520 | $232,934 | $215,880 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $347,890 | $224,503 | $206,345 |
| 30 | Indiana | $264,890 | $184,572 | $197,826 |
| 31 | California | $258,550 | $168,285 | $152,019 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Orthopedic Surgeons, 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 31 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.