What does a Physicists salary really buy you in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is 3.8% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Pennsylvania's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 96.2, meaning prices are 3.8% lower the national average. A Physicists earning $208,470 in Pennsylvania has the equivalent purchasing power of $216,704 in an average-cost US state.
A Physicists in Pennsylvania earns $208,470 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 4% further — like earning $216,704 in an average-cost state. This makes Pennsylvania one of the best value states for this occupation.
Where does Physicists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Pennsylvania ranks #2 out of 39 states for Physicists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Physicists in Pennsylvania earns a median salary of $208,470 per year. After adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (RPP=96.2), the real purchasing power is $216,704 — a +4.0% difference.
Pennsylvania's cost of living is 3.8% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Pennsylvania is 96.2 (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 Pennsylvania: $208,470 x (100 / 96.2) = $216,704. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Physicists in Pennsylvania enjoys 4.0% 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.