$90,000 in Des Moines ≈ $109,040 in Seattle
$109,040
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (91.7 → 111.1). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Seattle run +21.2% vs Des Moines for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Chief Executives in Des Moines Chief Executives in Seattle
- Physicians, All Other in Des Moines Physicians, All Other in Seattle
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Des Moines Computer and Information Systems Managers in Seattle
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Des Moines Architectural and Engineering Managers in Seattle
- Financial Managers in Des Moines Financial Managers in Seattle
- Des Moines RPP
- 91.7
- Seattle RPP
- 111.1
- Price gap
- +21.2%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Seattle run +21.2% 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 $109,040 in Seattle for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Seattle
| In Des Moines | In Seattle |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $72,694 |
| $90,000 | $109,040 |
| $150,000 | $181,734 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (111.1 ÷ 91.7). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Des Moines | Seattle | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 91.7 | 111.1 | 100 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 104.0 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 84.7 | 151.3 | 100 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 106.8 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Des Moines | Seattle | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $290,870 | $370,000 | $260,990 to $481,180 | 2,060 | +27.2% |
| Physicians, All Other | $309,880 | $330,560 | $248,540 to $383,880 | 3,590 | +6.7% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $164,840 | $214,680 | $171,550 to $299,560 | 13,170 | +30.2% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,330 | $204,340 | $171,360 to $219,300 | 4,390 | +37.8% |
| Financial Managers | $154,140 | $185,550 | $149,530 to $228,360 | 8,500 | +20.4% |
| Sales Managers | $136,570 | $184,320 | $143,240 to $254,290 | 6,620 | +35.0% |
| Marketing Managers | $135,140 | $175,850 | $129,990 to $230,740 | 6,720 | +30.1% |
| Human Resources Managers | $138,140 | $171,360 | $136,590 to $219,000 | 3,200 | +24.0% |
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 Seattle to match $90,000 in Des Moines?
- About $109,040, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 91.7 and 111.1. 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.