$90,000 in Des Moines ≈ $99,128 in Charleston
$99,128
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (91.7 → 101). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Charleston run +10.1% vs Des Moines for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Chief Executives in Des Moines Chief Executives in Charleston
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Des Moines Computer and Information Systems Managers in Charleston
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Des Moines Architectural and Engineering Managers in Charleston
- Financial Managers in Des Moines Financial Managers in Charleston
- Pharmacists in Des Moines Pharmacists in Charleston
- Des Moines RPP
- 91.7
- Charleston RPP
- 101
- Price gap
- +10.1%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Charleston run +10.1% versus Des Moines on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are higher at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Des Moines maps to about $99,128 in Charleston for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Charleston
| In Des Moines | In Charleston |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $66,085 |
| $90,000 | $99,128 |
| $150,000 | $165,213 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (101 ÷ 91.7). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Des Moines | Charleston | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 91.7 | 101.0 | 100 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.3 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 84.7 | 119.8 | 100 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.3 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Des Moines | Charleston | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $290,870 | $197,220 | $136,730 to $289,930 | 290 | −32.2% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $164,840 | $167,000 | $120,750 to $215,250 | 940 | +1.3% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,330 | $174,040 | $150,560 to $216,430 | 730 | +17.3% |
| Financial Managers | $154,140 | $147,170 | $110,410 to $206,720 | 1,420 | −4.5% |
| Pharmacists | $141,110 | $145,950 | $130,860 to $161,620 | 920 | +3.4% |
| Sales Managers | $136,570 | $139,830 | $97,330 to $179,700 | 1,660 | +2.4% |
| Managers, All Other | $139,110 | $136,370 | $108,890 to $168,090 | 510 | −2.0% |
| Marketing Managers | $135,140 | $138,790 | $103,570 to $194,930 | 800 | +2.7% |
BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.
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FAQ
- What salary do I need in Charleston to match $90,000 in Des Moines?
- About $99,128, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 91.7 and 101. 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.