Best states for pathology
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 pathology, adjusted take-home is highest in Pennsylvania at $252,598 — about 90% further than California, the lowest of the 33 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $369,170 | $246,536 | $252,598 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $333,340 | $220,079 | $250,659 |
| 3 | Illinois | $381,560 | $246,745 | $246,745 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $368,860 | $228,383 | $231,626 |
| 5 | Texas | $308,250 | $219,703 | $226,265 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $302,180 | $203,944 | $226,102 |
| 7 | Iowa | $289,700 | $197,073 | $224,457 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $295,150 | $198,108 | $221,350 |
| 9 | Kansas | $300,560 | $198,403 | $220,203 |
| 10 | Indiana | $299,840 | $205,439 | $220,192 |
| 11 | Ohio | $290,130 | $199,663 | $215,154 |
| 12 | Mississippi | $273,380 | $186,370 | $214,218 |
| 13 | Arizona | $305,920 | $210,970 | $209,503 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $285,200 | $193,683 | $205,390 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $315,010 | $208,774 | $204,080 |
| 16 | Missouri | $270,470 | $184,203 | $202,867 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $269,160 | $182,142 | $202,155 |
| 18 | Florida | $285,800 | $205,638 | $198,876 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $278,740 | $185,541 | $198,016 |
| 20 | Washington | $281,820 | $203,145 | $189,855 |
| 21 | New York | $309,660 | $202,322 | $187,509 |
| 22 | Maryland | $290,540 | $193,672 | $184,450 |
| 23 | Nevada | $249,720 | $182,560 | $182,560 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $298,760 | $196,853 | $180,931 |
| 25 | Vermont | $267,460 | $176,893 | $180,503 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $221,970 | $155,865 | $179,361 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $281,410 | $188,817 | $178,466 |
| 28 | Michigan | $241,850 | $167,115 | $173,716 |
| 29 | Colorado | $255,230 | $175,607 | $170,327 |
| 30 | Virginia | $245,900 | $166,659 | $164,846 |
| 31 | Georgia | $205,020 | $142,228 | $147,693 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $182,820 | $127,553 | $135,550 |
| 33 | California | $221,080 | $147,170 | $132,945 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Physicians, Pathologists”, 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 33 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.