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What does a Hydrologists salary really buy you in Vermont?
Vermont is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Vermont's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.1, meaning prices are 1.1% higher the national average. A Hydrologists earning $86,140 in Vermont has the equivalent purchasing power of $85,202 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Vermont's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $78,860 | $78,001 | $-858 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $83,620 | $82,710 | $-909 |
| Median (P50) | $86,140 | $85,202 | $-937 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $90,520 | $89,535 | $-984 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $107,300 | $106,132 | $-1,167 |
Vermont's cost of living is close to the national average, so $86,140 keeps most of its value at $85,202 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 101.1, Vermont is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Hydrologists is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Vermont's cost of living, $86,140 nominal nets out to $85,203 in real purchasing power — a small 1.1% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Hydrologists.
Vermont ranks #29 of 34 — bottom quartile for Hydrologists real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Hydrologists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Vermont ranks #29 out of 34 states for Hydrologists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Hydrologists take-home pay in Vermont after taxes →
A Hydrologists in Vermont earns a median salary of $86,140 per year. After adjusting for Vermont's cost of living (RPP=101.1), the real purchasing power is $85,202 — a -1.1% difference.
Vermont's cost of living is 1.1% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Vermont is 101.1 (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 Hydrologists in Vermont: $86,140 x (100 / 101.1) = $85,202. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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