Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Soil and Plant Scientists salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Soil and Plant Scientists earning $83,840 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $83,923 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) | $40,250 | $40,290 | +$40 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $46,190 | $46,236 | +$46 |
| Median (P50) | $83,840 | $83,923 | +$83 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $108,740 | $108,848 | +$108 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $124,900 | $125,025 | +$125 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $83,840 keeps most of its value at $83,923 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 99.9, Arizona is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Soil and Plant Scientists is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living, $83,840 nominal nets out to $83,924 in real purchasing power — a small 0.1% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Soil and Plant Scientists.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Soil and Plant Scientists, Arizona places #10 of 46 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Soil and Plant Scientists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #10 out of 46 states for Soil and Plant Scientists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Soil and Plant Scientists take-home pay in Arizona after taxes →
A Soil and Plant Scientists in Arizona earns a median salary of $83,840 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $83,923 — 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 Soil and Plant Scientists in Arizona: $83,840 x (100 / 99.9) = $83,923. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.