$90,000 in Des Moines ≈ $95,104 in Milwaukee
$95,104
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (91.7 → 96.9). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Milwaukee run +5.7% vs Des Moines for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Physicians, All Other in Des Moines Physicians, All Other in Milwaukee
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Des Moines Computer and Information Systems Managers in Milwaukee
- Financial Managers in Des Moines Financial Managers in Milwaukee
- Pharmacists in Des Moines Pharmacists in Milwaukee
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Des Moines Architectural and Engineering Managers in Milwaukee
- Des Moines RPP
- 91.7
- Milwaukee RPP
- 96.9
- Price gap
- +5.7%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Milwaukee run +5.7% 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 $95,104 in Milwaukee for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Milwaukee
| In Des Moines | In Milwaukee |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $63,402 |
| $90,000 | $95,104 |
| $150,000 | $158,506 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (96.9 ÷ 91.7). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Des Moines | Milwaukee | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 91.7 | 96.9 | 100 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 93.8 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 84.7 | 97.1 | 100 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.4 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Des Moines | Milwaukee | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $309,880 | $411,200 | $336,480 to $456,390 | 2,390 | +32.7% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $164,840 | $161,220 | $129,380 to $202,580 | 2,520 | −2.2% |
| Financial Managers | $154,140 | $156,100 | $113,910 to $200,830 | 5,160 | +1.3% |
| Pharmacists | $141,110 | $153,340 | $133,400 to $170,380 | 1,760 | +8.7% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,330 | $143,570 | $128,750 to $169,500 | 1,610 | −3.2% |
| Sales Managers | $136,570 | $144,560 | $105,910 to $180,380 | 3,240 | +5.9% |
| Human Resources Managers | $138,140 | $136,530 | $108,790 to $172,250 | 1,190 | −1.2% |
| Physician Assistants | $133,830 | $135,040 | $127,460 to $161,080 | 1,220 | +0.9% |
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 Milwaukee to match $90,000 in Des Moines?
- About $95,104, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 91.7 and 96.9. 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.