$90,000 in Allentown ≈ $82,980 in Memphis

$82,980

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (100 → 92.2). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Memphis run −7.8% vs Allentown for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Allentown RPP
100
Memphis RPP
92.2
Price gap
−7.8%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Memphis run −7.8% versus Allentown on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Allentown maps to about $82,980 in Memphis for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Memphis: $82,980

Live math: salary × (92.2 ÷ 100). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Memphis

In AllentownIn Memphis
$60,000$55,320
$90,000$82,980
$150,000$138,300

Equivalent = origin salary × (92.2 ÷ 100). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentAllentownMemphisUS
All items100.092.2100
Goods100.696.2100
Housing (rents)105.579.8100
Other services97.895.4100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationAllentownMemphisDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Physicians, All Other$258,750$388,960$282,200 to $498,050950+50.3%
Chief Executives$279,080$196,680$120,360 to $305,080680−29.5%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$165,660$161,790$123,280 to $189,2001,710−2.3%
Financial Managers$146,030$143,880$109,380 to $201,8902,750−1.5%
Marketing Managers$153,930$132,540$98,810 to $178,5001,180−13.9%
Pharmacists$138,390$134,220$126,490 to $153,2501,460−3.0%
Human Resources Managers$131,770$138,560$107,130 to $176,520760+5.2%
Sales Managers$135,220$128,560$92,960 to $176,7102,040−4.9%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Memphis to match $90,000 in Allentown?
About $82,980, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 100 and 92.2. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
Does this include taxes or benefits?
No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.

What this covers

Includes

  • BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
  • BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
  • Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)

Does not include

  • Federal, state, or local income taxes
  • Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
  • Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand

See methodology and disclaimer.