Taxes may be the bane of most working people’s existence, but they’re impossible to dodge. But wait, there’s more: Not only must you pay federal income taxes, but you must, in the vast majority of states, also pay individual income taxes. In fact, 43 states and Washington, D.C., levy individual income taxes and 41 tax wage and salary income, according to the Tax Foundation.
Over a lifetime of earnings, taxes can add up to a tremendous amount of money spent. Research from Self, a financial technology company, provided a state-by-state breakdown of the average lifetime earnings compared with estimated lifetime taxes and the percentage of earnings that will go toward tax payments.
Here’s how much you’ll pay in taxes over a lifetime in every state, with states ranked in order of highest to lowest percentage of earnings spent.
New Jersey
- Lifetime earnings: $1,818,191
- Lifetime taxes: $987,117
- Percentage of earnings: 54.3%
Connecticut
- Lifetime earnings: $1,731,261
- Lifetime taxes: $855,307
- Percentage of earnings: 49.4%
Vermont
- Lifetime earnings: $1,442,094
- Lifetime taxes: $651,434
- Percentage of earnings: 45.2%
New York
- Lifetime earnings: $1,658,872
- Lifetime taxes: $748,199
- Percentage of earnings: 45.1%
Massachusetts
- Lifetime earnings: $1,857,438
- Lifetime taxes: $816,700
- Percentage of earnings: 44.0%
New Hampshire
- Lifetime earnings: $1,674,402
- Lifetime taxes: $722,610
- Percentage of earnings: 43.2%
Rhode Island
- Lifetime earnings: $1,600,495
- Lifetime taxes: $684,828
- Percentage of earnings: 42.8%
Illinois
- Lifetime earnings: $1,580,130
- Lifetime taxes: $665,286
- Percentage of earnings: 42.1%
California
- Lifetime earnings: $1,589,377
- Lifetime taxes: $659,224
- Percentage of earnings: 41.5%
Maine
- Lifetime earnings: $1,420,847
- Lifetime taxes: $581,750
- Percentage of earnings: 40.9%
Mississippi
- Lifetime earnings: $1,212,292
- Lifetime taxes: $481,017
- Percentage of earnings: 39.7%
Nebraska
- Lifetime earnings: $1,441,423
- Lifetime taxes: $546,354
- Percentage of earnings: 37.9%
Wisconsin
- Lifetime earnings: $1,497,577
- Lifetime taxes: $562,204
- Percentage of earnings: 37.5%
Kansas
- Lifetime earnings: $1,405,670
- Lifetime taxes: $525,482
- Percentage of earnings: 37.4%
Texas
- Lifetime earnings: $1,437,047
- Lifetime taxes: $531,438
- Percentage of earnings: 37.0%
Washington
- Lifetime earnings: $1,729,531
- Lifetime taxes: $631,249
- Percentage of earnings: 36.5%
Iowa
- Lifetime earnings: $1,443,717
- Lifetime taxes: $524,580
- Percentage of earnings: 36.3%
Minnesota
- Lifetime earnings: $1,645,072
- Lifetime taxes: $589,066
- Percentage of earnings: 35.8%
Oregon
- Lifetime earnings: $1,461,612
- Lifetime taxes: $521,500
- Percentage of earnings: 35.7%
Utah
- Lifetime earnings: $1,397,411
- Lifetime taxes: $493,368
- Percentage of earnings: 35.3%
Pennsylvania
- Lifetime earnings: $1,508,483
- Lifetime taxes: $532,077
- Percentage of earnings: 35.3%
Virginia
- Lifetime earnings: $1,652,307
- Lifetime taxes: $581,874
- Percentage of earnings: 35.2%
Michigan
- Lifetime earnings: $1,386,964
- Lifetime taxes: $487,842
- Percentage of earnings: 35.2%
Maryland
- Lifetime earnings: $1,871,450
- Lifetime taxes: $655,454
- Percentage of earnings: 35.0%
Idaho
- Lifetime earnings: $1,254,081
- Lifetime taxes: $420,886
- Percentage of earnings: 33.6%
Washington, D.C.
- Lifetime earnings: $2,652,904
- Lifetime taxes: $884,820
- Percentage of earnings: 33.4%
Missouri
- Lifetime earnings: $1,392,011
- Lifetime taxes: $463,997
- Percentage of earnings: 33.3%
Hawaii
- Lifetime earnings: $1,581,119
- Lifetime taxes: $521,966
- Percentage of earnings: 33.0%
Colorado
- Lifetime earnings: $1,648,566
- Lifetime taxes: $540,680
- Percentage of earnings: 32.8%
Arizona
- Lifetime earnings: $1,443,082
- Lifetime taxes: $470,554
- Percentage of earnings: 32.6%
North Carolina
- Lifetime earnings: $1,381,529
- Lifetime taxes: $450,446
- Percentage of earnings: 32.6%
Ohio
- Lifetime earnings: $1,425,470
- Lifetime taxes: $453,333
- Percentage of earnings: 31.8%
Montana
- Lifetime earnings: $1,279,987
- Lifetime taxes: $406,829
- Percentage of earnings: 31.8%
Indiana
- Lifetime earnings: $1,405,776
- Lifetime taxes: $443,271
- Percentage of earnings: 31.5%
Kentucky
- Lifetime earnings: $1,307,340
- Lifetime taxes: $411,333
- Percentage of earnings: 31.5%
South Carolina
- Lifetime earnings: $1,326,469
- Lifetime taxes: $416,183
- Percentage of earnings: 31.4%
Nevada
- Lifetime earnings: $1,415,800
- Lifetime taxes: $440,737
- Percentage of earnings: 31.1%
New Mexico
- Lifetime earnings: $1,224,927
- Lifetime taxes: $379,638
- Percentage of earnings: 31.0%
Arkansas
- Lifetime earnings: $1,264,951
- Lifetime taxes: $381,758
- Percentage of earnings: 30.2%
Georgia
- Lifetime earnings: $1,422,823
- Lifetime taxes: $426,896
- Percentage of earnings: 30.0%
Tennessee
- Lifetime earnings: $1,359,081
- Lifetime taxes: $390,663
- Percentage of earnings: 28.7%
Oklahoma
- Lifetime earnings: $1,306,352
- Lifetime taxes: $371,432
- Percentage of earnings: 28.4%
West Virginia
- Lifetime earnings: $1,263,434
- Lifetime taxes: $358,407
- Percentage of earnings: 28.4%
Florida
- Lifetime earnings: $1,335,046
- Lifetime taxes: $377,379
- Percentage of earnings: 28.3%
Wyoming
- Lifetime earnings: $1,401,788
- Lifetime taxes: $394,772
- Percentage of earnings: 28.2%
Alabama
- Lifetime earnings: $1,296,399
- Lifetime taxes: $360,053
- Percentage of earnings: 27.8%
North Dakota
- Lifetime earnings: $1,523,518
- Lifetime taxes: $422,314
- Percentage of earnings: 27.7%
South Dakota
- Lifetime earnings: $1,390,105
- Lifetime taxes: $380,130
- Percentage of earnings: 27.3%
Louisiana
- Lifetime earnings: $1,318,458
- Lifetime taxes: $358,611
- Percentage of earnings: 27.2%
Delaware
- Lifetime earnings: $1,526,730
- Lifetime taxes: $392,091
- Percentage of earnings: 25.7%
Alaska
- Lifetime earnings: $1,632,895
- Lifetime taxes: $400,742
- Percentage of earnings: 24.5%
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