$90,000 in Austin ≈ $84,128 in Des Moines

$84,128

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (98.1 → 91.7). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Des Moines run −6.5% vs Austin for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Austin RPP
98.1
Des Moines RPP
91.7
Price gap
−6.5%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Des Moines run −6.5% versus Austin on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Austin maps to about $84,128 in Des Moines for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Des Moines: $84,128

Live math: salary × (91.7 ÷ 98.1). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Des Moines

In AustinIn Des Moines
$60,000$56,086
$90,000$84,128
$150,000$140,214

Equivalent = origin salary × (91.7 ÷ 98.1). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentAustinDes MoinesUS
All items98.191.7100
Goods93.893.7100
Housing (rents)120.484.7100
Other services96.292.9100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationAustinDes MoinesDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Physicians, All Other$276,600$309,880$159,760 to $366,070460+12.0%
Chief Executives$288,150$290,870$167,990 to $345,9401,230+0.9%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$176,990$164,840$131,980 to $183,3602,050−6.9%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$176,540$148,330$127,010 to $176,090360−16.0%
Financial Managers$167,180$154,140$114,990 to $204,8303,800−7.8%
Marketing Managers$164,920$135,140$108,000 to $169,640950−18.1%
Pharmacists$151,290$141,110$130,370 to $162,570850−6.7%
Sales Managers$151,760$136,570$102,110 to $173,0001,200−10.0%

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 Des Moines to match $90,000 in Austin?
About $84,128, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 98.1 and 91.7. 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.