What does a Aerospace Engineers salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Aerospace Engineers earning $135,620 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $135,755 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Arizona's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $86,920 | $87,007 | +$87 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $107,970 | $108,078 | +$108 |
| Median (P50) | $135,620 | $135,755 | +$135 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $175,580 | $175,755 | +$175 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $225,640 | $225,865 | +$225 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $135,620 keeps most of its value at $135,755 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Aerospace Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #15 out of 41 states for Aerospace Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Aerospace Engineers in Arizona earns a median salary of $135,620 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $135,755 — a +0.1% difference.
Arizona's cost of living is 0.1% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Arizona is 99.9 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Aerospace Engineers in Arizona: $135,620 x (100 / 99.9) = $135,755. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.