analytics Real Pay Index BLS wages × BEA cost of living May 2025 release

Ultrasound Technician Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living

Ultrasound technicians earn the most in California ($128,530/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, California drops to #2, and Oregon pays the most real money ($116,311 in U.S.-average buying power).

paid Highest nominal pay
CA · $128,530
savings Highest real pay
OR · $116,311
trending_up Biggest climb (COL-adjusted)
KS ▲ 17 spots
Rank states by
# State Nominal / yr Cost of living Real pay / yr COL shift
Oregon $120,220 103 $116,311 ▲ 3
California $128,530 111 $116,086 ▼ 1
Washington $121,340 107 $113,388
Hawaii $124,430 110 $113,169 ▼ 2
Missouri $100,130 91 $110,255 ▲ 14
Wyoming $100,650 93 $108,587 ▲ 12
Wisconsin $102,090 94 $108,497 ▲ 8
Kansas $96,310 90 $106,930 ▲ 17
Montana $101,000 95 $106,715 ▲ 7
Vermont $104,100 98 $106,270 ▼ 1
Colorado $108,410 103 $105,199 ▼ 5
Idaho $99,920 96 $104,635 ▲ 10
Minnesota $102,850 99 $104,288 ▲ 1
Alaska $105,670 102 $103,235 ▼ 6
District of Columbia $112,020 110 $101,928 ▼ 10
Massachusetts $107,480 106 $101,629 ▼ 9
Utah $100,100 99 $101,250 ▲ 3
Kentucky $91,230 90 $101,188 ▲ 13
Illinois $100,660 100 $100,702 ▼ 2
Connecticut $103,230 104 $99,633 ▼ 8
New Hampshire $103,760 104 $99,611 ▼ 10
Arizona $100,040 101 $99,367 ▼ 1
Delaware $98,530 100 $98,720 ▲ 1
Iowa $86,480 88 $98,539 ▲ 9
Maine $95,230 97 $98,125 ▲ 3
New York $103,920 108 $96,293 ▼ 16
Nevada $95,980 100 $96,000 ▼ 1
Texas $92,580 97 $95,387 ▲ 2
Oklahoma $83,670 88 $95,249 ▲ 8
North Dakota $84,340 89 $94,808 ▲ 6
New Jersey $103,150 109 $94,803 ▼ 18
Virginia $95,660 101 $94,615 ▼ 5
New Mexico $87,210 92 $94,576 ▼ 1
Maryland $99,210 105 $94,523 ▼ 11
Arkansas $81,500 87 $93,746 ▲ 10
Nebraska $82,670 90 $91,751 ▲ 7
Louisiana $80,710 88 $91,501 ▲ 10
South Dakota $80,820 89 $91,233 ▲ 8
North Carolina $86,010 94 $91,184 ▼ 5
Indiana $85,040 93 $91,119 ▼ 5
Rhode Island $92,820 102 $90,751 ▼ 12
Ohio $82,870 93 $89,325 ▼ 1
South Carolina $83,290 94 $88,844 ▼ 5
Mississippi $76,520 87 $88,002 ▲ 6
Tennessee $80,640 92 $87,776 ▲ 3
Georgia $83,250 96 $86,455 ▼ 7
West Virginia $76,820 90 $85,835 ▲ 2
Michigan $82,490 96 $85,733 ▼ 4
Pennsylvania $82,710 98 $84,768 ▼ 7
Florida $82,940 103 $80,202 ▼ 10
Alabama $68,180 89 $76,759

How to read this

Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for ultrasound technicians in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.

Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”

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