What does a Agricultural Equipment Operators salary really buy you in Iowa?
Iowa is 11.6% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Iowa's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 88.4, meaning prices are 11.6% lower the national average. A Agricultural Equipment Operators earning $48,690 in Iowa has the equivalent purchasing power of $55,079 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $38,400 | $43,438 | +$5,038 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $45,360 | $51,312 | +$5,952 |
| Median (P50) | $48,690 | $55,079 | +$6,389 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $53,670 | $60,712 | +$7,042 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $57,560 | $65,113 | +$7,553 |
A Agricultural Equipment Operators in Iowa earns $48,690 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 13% further — like earning $55,079 in an average-cost state. This makes Iowa one of the best value states for this occupation.
Where does Agricultural Equipment Operators salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Iowa ranks #2 out of 42 states for Agricultural Equipment Operators after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Agricultural Equipment Operators in Iowa earns a median salary of $48,690 per year. After adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (RPP=88.4), the real purchasing power is $55,079 — a +13.1% difference.
Iowa's cost of living is 11.6% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Iowa is 88.4 (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 Agricultural Equipment Operators in Iowa: $48,690 x (100 / 88.4) = $55,079. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Agricultural Equipment Operators in Iowa enjoys 13.1% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.