Pay vs cost of living

How far does a Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk's pay go, state by state?

A Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk's pay leaves the most room in Hawaii — about $3,758/mo take-home against $1,927/mo typical rent — and the least in Maryland.

StateEst. take-homeTypical rentRent share
Hawaii$3,758/mo$1,927/mo51%
Maine$2,424/mo$1,104/mo46%
Vermont$2,414/mo$1,207/mo50%
Rhode Island$2,318/mo$1,289/mo56%
Minnesota$2,258/mo$1,230/mo54%
North Dakota$1,866/mo$911/mo49%
South Dakota$1,861/mo$910/mo49%
Wisconsin$1,975/mo$1,033/mo52%
Iowa$1,856/mo$932/mo50%
Michigan$1,990/mo$1,072/mo54%
Missouri$1,915/mo$997/mo52%
Montana$1,938/mo$1,031/mo53%
Wyoming$1,882/mo$979/mo52%
Indiana$1,903/mo$1,022/mo54%
Arkansas$1,766/mo$903/mo51%
Alaska$2,222/mo$1,361/mo61%
New Hampshire$2,276/mo$1,424/mo63%
Nevada$2,322/mo$1,478/mo64%
Idaho$1,997/mo$1,163/mo58%
Ohio$1,819/mo$986/mo54%
Oregon$2,261/mo$1,431/mo63%
Nebraska$1,830/mo$1,017/mo56%
Kentucky$1,726/mo$918/mo53%
Connecticut$2,290/mo$1,483/mo65%
New Mexico$1,841/mo$1,034/mo56%
New York$2,416/mo$1,621/mo67%
Kansas$1,810/mo$1,025/mo57%
Tennessee$1,893/mo$1,111/mo59%
Oklahoma$1,741/mo$970/mo56%
Alabama$1,732/mo$967/mo56%
Pennsylvania$1,935/mo$1,176/mo61%
Massachusetts$2,467/mo$1,716/mo70%
Washington$2,389/mo$1,641/mo69%
North Carolina$1,890/mo$1,147/mo61%
West Virginia$1,581/mo$848/mo54%
South Carolina$1,860/mo$1,131/mo61%
Arizona$2,134/mo$1,419/mo66%
Louisiana$1,737/mo$1,028/mo59%
Illinois$1,947/mo$1,246/mo64%
New Jersey$2,339/mo$1,656/mo71%
Colorado$2,300/mo$1,659/mo72%
Delaware$1,948/mo$1,321/mo68%
District of Columbia$2,519/mo$1,900/mo75%
Mississippi$1,484/mo$933/mo63%
Texas$1,867/mo$1,328/mo71%
Utah$1,926/mo$1,396/mo72%
Georgia$1,836/mo$1,320/mo72%
California$2,428/mo$1,969/mo81%
Florida$1,988/mo$1,542/mo78%
Virginia$1,914/mo$1,547/mo81%
Maryland$2,007/mo$1,683/mo84%

Take-home is that state's BLS OEWS 2023 median wage after a rough ~22% tax estimate — a ballpark, not a real paycheck. Rent is population-weighted Census gross rent (utilities included). Neither includes state taxes, insurance, or the cost of moving.

See your own numbers in Headroom