What does a Physical Scientists, All Other salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Physical Scientists, All Other earning $119,920 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $120,040 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) | $77,380 | $77,457 | +$77 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $100,350 | $100,450 | +$100 |
| Median (P50) | $119,920 | $120,040 | +$120 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $142,740 | $142,882 | +$142 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $156,840 | $156,996 | +$156 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $119,920 keeps most of its value at $120,040 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Physical Scientists, All Other salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #18 out of 41 states for Physical Scientists, All Other after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Physical Scientists, All Other in Arizona earns a median salary of $119,920 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $120,040 — 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 Physical Scientists, All Other in Arizona: $119,920 x (100 / 99.9) = $120,040. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.