What does a Physicists salary really buy you in Utah?
Utah is 5.5% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Utah's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 94.5, meaning prices are 5.5% lower the national average. A Physicists earning $133,900 in Utah has the equivalent purchasing power of $141,693 in an average-cost US state.
A Physicists in Utah earns $133,900 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 6% further — like earning $141,693 in an average-cost state. This makes Utah 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.
Utah ranks #23 out of 39 states for Physicists after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Physicists in Utah earns a median salary of $133,900 per year. After adjusting for Utah's cost of living (RPP=94.5), the real purchasing power is $141,693 — a +5.8% difference.
Utah's cost of living is 5.5% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Utah is 94.5 (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 Utah: $133,900 x (100 / 94.5) = $141,693. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Physicists in Utah enjoys 5.8% 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.