Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Education Teachers, Postsecondary earning $78,520 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $78,598 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) | $49,730 | $49,779 | +$49 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $64,500 | $64,564 | +$64 |
| Median (P50) | $78,520 | $78,598 | +$78 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $104,910 | $105,015 | +$105 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $135,140 | $135,275 | +$135 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $78,520 keeps most of its value at $78,598 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 99.9, Arizona is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Education Teachers, Postsecondary is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living, $78,520 nominal nets out to $78,599 in real purchasing power — a small 0.1% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Education Teachers, Postsecondary.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Education Teachers, Postsecondary, Arizona places #11 of 49 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #11 out of 49 states for Education Teachers, Postsecondary after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Education Teachers, Postsecondary take-home pay in Arizona after taxes →
A Education Teachers, Postsecondary in Arizona earns a median salary of $78,520 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $78,598 — 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 Education Teachers, Postsecondary in Arizona: $78,520 x (100 / 99.9) = $78,598. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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