Best states for psychiatry
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 psychiatry, adjusted take-home is highest in Missouri at $250,981 — about 125% further than District of Columbia, the lowest of the 46 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | $345,860 | $227,891 | $250,981 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $321,300 | $218,615 | $247,863 |
| 3 | Florida | $328,060 | $232,114 | $224,482 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $270,220 | $195,877 | $221,080 |
| 5 | Indiana | $297,220 | $203,876 | $218,517 |
| 6 | Iowa | $273,190 | $187,357 | $213,391 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $333,320 | $209,618 | $212,594 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $272,510 | $184,858 | $210,544 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $282,980 | $189,989 | $201,901 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $282,370 | $194,821 | $199,612 |
| 11 | Kansas | $265,280 | $178,261 | $197,848 |
| 12 | Vermont | $298,070 | $193,392 | $197,339 |
| 13 | Alaska | $278,800 | $201,253 | $196,536 |
| 14 | Utah | $288,370 | $194,128 | $196,287 |
| 15 | Maryland | $306,100 | $202,526 | $192,882 |
| 16 | Michigan | $272,010 | $185,438 | $192,763 |
| 17 | Ohio | $250,210 | $175,591 | $189,214 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $292,660 | $192,993 | $186,287 |
| 19 | Maine | $275,050 | $180,818 | $186,218 |
| 20 | Arizona | $264,260 | $185,874 | $184,582 |
| 21 | Illinois | $269,000 | $181,798 | $181,798 |
| 22 | Virginia | $272,960 | $182,645 | $180,658 |
| 23 | Washington | $265,600 | $192,983 | $180,358 |
| 24 | California | $315,380 | $198,813 | $179,596 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $238,260 | $164,506 | $178,423 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $218,620 | $153,065 | $175,937 |
| 27 | Colorado | $258,210 | $177,432 | $172,097 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $221,190 | $155,113 | $171,966 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $257,290 | $175,822 | $171,869 |
| 30 | Oregon | $282,210 | $177,474 | $171,638 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $210,520 | $156,683 | $170,493 |
| 32 | Texas | $221,100 | $163,771 | $168,662 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $226,360 | $154,797 | $165,205 |
| 34 | Delaware | $243,740 | $163,778 | $164,106 |
| 35 | Georgia | $227,430 | $156,315 | $162,321 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $271,330 | $176,333 | $160,303 |
| 37 | New York | $252,840 | $170,236 | $157,772 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $244,560 | $165,720 | $152,316 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $196,590 | $137,095 | $152,159 |
| 40 | Nevada | $203,980 | $151,866 | $151,866 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $201,840 | $142,254 | $150,853 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $182,100 | $128,668 | $148,064 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $199,220 | $148,353 | $142,373 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $173,570 | $121,861 | $136,158 |
| 45 | Idaho | $159,470 | $111,523 | $116,778 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $181,090 | $122,320 | $111,301 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Psychiatrists”, 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 46 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.