Just ran the numbers on what a 100k salary actually looks like after taxes in different states and honestly, it's wild how much variation there is. Depending on where you live, you could be taking home anywhere from around 70k to almost 79k from that same 100k gross income.

The states with no income tax are obviously crushing it - places like Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington, Tennessee, South Dakota and Wyoming all let you keep about 78,736 after taxes for 100k salary. Meanwhile if you're in Oregon, you're looking at closer to 70,540. Hawaii also hits pretty hard at around 72,579 take-home.

I looked at the breakdown and it's basically federal taxes, FICA, Social Security, plus whatever your state decides to take. The difference between the best and worst states is literally almost 8k a year on the same salary. That's insane when you think about it long-term.

Alaska does pretty well too at 78,736 - no state income tax helps. But if you're in Alabama, California, or Maine, you're paying somewhere in the 26-27k range in total taxes for 100k salary, which brings your take-home down to around 73-74k.

I put together a quick mental map of this - basically if you're serious about maximizing what you keep from a six-figure income, location actually matters way more than people think. The tax burden can swing your real purchasing power by nearly 10% just based on state residency. Crazy how many people don't factor this in when considering a move or negotiating salary.