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What does a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary really buy you in Virginia?
Virginia is 2.1% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Virginia's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.1, meaning prices are 2.1% higher the national average. A Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earning $55,070 in Virginia has the equivalent purchasing power of $53,937 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $41,000 | $40,156 | $-843 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $46,730 | $45,768 | $-961 |
| Median (P50) | $55,070 | $53,937 | $-1,132 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $68,260 | $66,856 | $-1,403 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $83,360 | $81,645 | $-1,714 |
Virginia's cost of living is close to the national average, so $55,070 keeps most of its value at $53,937 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 102.1, Virginia is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Virginia's cost of living, $55,070 nominal nets out to $53,937 in real purchasing power — a small 2.1% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Virginia sits at #10 of 37 states for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Virginia ranks #10 out of 37 states for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic take-home pay in Virginia after taxes →
A Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Virginia earns a median salary of $55,070 per year. After adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (RPP=102.1), the real purchasing power is $53,937 — a -2.1% difference.
Virginia's cost of living is 2.1% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Virginia is 102.1 (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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Virginia: $55,070 x (100 / 102.1) = $53,937. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic's nominal salary of $55,070 in Virginia has 2.1% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $53,937. However, Virginia may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.
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