Best states for radiology
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 radiology, adjusted take-home is highest in North Dakota at $408,751 — about 304% further than New Mexico, the lowest of the 34 states BLS publishes.
| # | State | Annual mean | Est. take-home | Adjusted take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $556,170 | $363,788 | $408,751 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $534,640 | $361,537 | $408,055 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $527,740 | $312,272 | $316,706 |
| 4 | Arizona | $478,540 | $314,801 | $312,613 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $447,500 | $306,943 | $294,571 |
| 6 | Florida | $434,010 | $298,492 | $288,677 |
| 7 | Maine | $448,540 | $277,105 | $285,381 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $390,970 | $253,521 | $283,264 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $418,720 | $276,058 | $282,846 |
| 10 | Georgia | $416,100 | $265,490 | $275,691 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $381,720 | $245,562 | $260,959 |
| 12 | Iowa | $344,000 | $229,029 | $260,853 |
| 13 | Maryland | $428,880 | $272,388 | $259,417 |
| 14 | Indiana | $360,390 | $241,557 | $258,904 |
| 15 | Michigan | $376,210 | $246,291 | $256,020 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $338,210 | $225,076 | $249,530 |
| 17 | Utah | $378,420 | $246,447 | $249,188 |
| 18 | Virginia | $380,580 | $243,881 | $241,227 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $391,790 | $252,451 | $238,612 |
| 20 | Nevada | $334,320 | $236,036 | $236,036 |
| 21 | Montana | $319,460 | $209,016 | $220,947 |
| 22 | Colorado | $343,570 | $227,374 | $220,537 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $374,880 | $239,693 | $220,306 |
| 24 | Texas | $292,220 | $209,660 | $215,922 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $266,420 | $193,497 | $208,735 |
| 26 | New York | $336,460 | $217,276 | $201,368 |
| 27 | Ohio | $264,470 | $184,453 | $198,764 |
| 28 | California | $309,990 | $195,937 | $176,998 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $232,030 | $158,168 | $168,803 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $268,900 | $175,040 | $159,272 |
| 31 | Kansas | $199,480 | $137,705 | $152,836 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $227,700 | $155,553 | $150,148 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $140,990 | $101,801 | $117,147 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $127,900 | $93,183 | $101,066 |
Method: annual mean wage from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (“Radiologists”, 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.