Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
See the real purchasing power for 800+ jobs across all 50 US states. Salaries adjusted using BEA Regional Price Parities to compare apples-to-apples.
Compare average salaries across all 50 states. Click any state to see COL-adjusted salary data for 800+ jobs.
Our full Cost of Living Hub covers 1,000+ cities with housing values, rental prices, and metro-level affordability rankings.
Select a state to explore salaries adjusted for regional price differences. States with RPP below 100 stretch your paycheck further; above 100 means higher costs.
Cost-of-living adjusted salary shows the real purchasing power of your income. A nominal salary is adjusted using BEA Regional Price Parities to reflect differences in prices across states. A $100K salary in an expensive state like Hawaii (RPP ~115) has the purchasing power of only about $87K nationally, while the same salary in Mississippi (RPP ~85) buys you roughly $118K worth of goods and services.
Regional Price Parities (RPP) are indexes published annually by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure price differences across regions. The national average RPP = 100. States with RPP > 100 are more expensive; states with RPP < 100 are cheaper. RPPs cover goods, services, and housing costs, making them the most comprehensive measure of regional price differences available from the US government.
Mississippi typically has the lowest cost of living in the US, with an RPP around 85. Other affordable states include West Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kansas. In these states, your paycheck stretches 10-15% further than the national average, meaning a $60K salary effectively buys you what $69-70K would nationally.
Hawaii is by far the most expensive state, with an RPP around 115-120. California, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey also rank among the most expensive. In Hawaii, a $100K salary has the purchasing power of roughly $83-87K nationally. High housing costs are the primary driver in these states.
Both perspectives are valuable and answer different questions. After-tax salaries show your actual take-home pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes. COL-adjusted salaries show real purchasing power based on local prices. For example, Texas has no state income tax (great after-tax pay) but moderate living costs, while Oregon has higher taxes but moderate COL. Ideally, consider both to get the full picture. See our after-tax salary hub for tax-adjusted data.
After-tax calculation deducts federal, state, and FICA taxes from your gross salary — it shows what hits your bank account. COL adjustment uses Regional Price Parities to show what your salary is worth in terms of local purchasing power — it shows what you can actually buy. Both are needed to make an informed relocation or career decision.
Salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, covering 2025 data for 800+ occupations. Regional Price Parities are published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), a division of the US Department of Commerce. Both are official US government data sources updated annually.
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