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What does a Physicists salary really buy you in Delaware?
Delaware is 2.0% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Delaware's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 98.0, meaning prices are 2.0% lower the national average. A Physicists earning $82,590 in Delaware has the equivalent purchasing power of $84,275 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $64,570 | $65,887 | +$1,317 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $64,570 | $65,887 | +$1,317 |
| Median (P50) | $82,590 | $84,275 | +$1,685 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $210,590 | $214,887 | +$4,297 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $293,950 | $299,948 | +$5,998 |
Delaware's cost of living is close to the national average, so $82,590 keeps most of its value at $84,275 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 98.0, Delaware is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Physicists is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living, $82,590 nominal nets out to $84,276 in real purchasing power — a small 2.0% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Physicists.
Delaware ranks #43 of 43 — bottom quartile for Physicists real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Physicists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Delaware ranks #43 out of 43 states for Physicists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Physicists take-home pay in Delaware after taxes →
A Physicists in Delaware earns a median salary of $82,590 per year. After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (RPP=98.0), the real purchasing power is $84,275 — a +2.0% difference.
Delaware's cost of living is 2.0% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Delaware is 98.0 (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 Physicists in Delaware: $82,590 x (100 / 98.0) = $84,275. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Physicists in Delaware enjoys 2.0% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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