Just realized how much taxes actually eat into a 100k salary and it's honestly wild. I was looking at my paycheck breakdown and started comparing what people actually take home in different states. Turns out a 100k a year after taxes looks completely different depending on where you live.

Some states are brutal. If you're in Oregon, you're looking at keeping around $70,540 from a 100k salary. Hawaii takes even more - down to about $72,579. But then you've got states like Texas, Florida, Nevada, and Wyoming where people keep almost $78,736. No state income tax makes a huge difference.

The federal taxes and FICA hit everyone, but it's the state taxes that really create the gap. I was comparing Alabama versus Alaska - both start at 100k a year after taxes, but one leaves you with $73,926 and the other $78,736. That's a $4,800 difference just because of where you chose to live.

What's interesting is the middle ground states. Most hover around $74k-$75k take-home. So unless you're in a no-income-tax state or one of the high-tax ones, you're probably looking at keeping roughly 74-75 cents on every dollar before you account for any deductions.

Makes you think about whether that six-figure salary is actually as impressive as it sounds depending on your location. The number on the offer letter and what you actually see in your account are two very different things.