$90,000 in Charleston ≈ $87,505 in Raleigh

$87,505

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (101 → 98.2). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Raleigh run −2.8% vs Charleston for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Charleston RPP
101
Raleigh RPP
98.2
Price gap
−2.8%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Raleigh run −2.8% versus Charleston on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Charleston maps to about $87,505 in Raleigh for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Raleigh: $87,505

Live math: salary × (98.2 ÷ 101). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Raleigh

In CharlestonIn Raleigh
$60,000$58,337
$90,000$87,505
$150,000$145,842

Equivalent = origin salary × (98.2 ÷ 101). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentCharlestonRaleighUS
All items101.098.2100
Goods96.396.6100
Housing (rents)119.8103.5100
Other services98.398.2100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationCharlestonRaleighDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Chief Executives$197,220$286,050$171,810 to $417,820360+45.0%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$174,040$169,780$139,040 to $208,5901,850−2.4%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$167,000$173,960$141,040 to $220,3906,010+4.2%
Financial Managers$147,170$163,130$131,060 to $216,2003,690+10.8%
Marketing Managers$138,790$167,640$129,860 to $213,9302,390+20.8%
Sales Managers$139,830$163,520$108,750 to $217,7303,280+16.9%
Managers, All Other$136,370$147,370$109,470 to $199,7604,320+8.1%
Pharmacists$145,950$133,120$128,950 to $157,7601,730−8.8%

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 Raleigh to match $90,000 in Charleston?
About $87,505, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 101 and 98.2. 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.