$90,000 in Los Angeles ≈ $72,650 in Des Moines
$72,650
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (113.6 → 91.7). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Des Moines run −19.3% vs Los Angeles for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Chief Executives in Los Angeles Chief Executives in Des Moines
- Physicians, All Other in Los Angeles Physicians, All Other in Des Moines
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Los Angeles Computer and Information Systems Managers in Des Moines
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Los Angeles Architectural and Engineering Managers in Des Moines
- Financial Managers in Los Angeles Financial Managers in Des Moines
- Los Angeles RPP
- 113.6
- Des Moines RPP
- 91.7
- Price gap
- −19.3%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Des Moines run −19.3% versus Los Angeles on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Los Angeles maps to about $72,650 in Des Moines for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Des Moines
| In Los Angeles | In Des Moines |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $48,433 |
| $90,000 | $72,650 |
| $150,000 | $121,083 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (91.7 ÷ 113.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Los Angeles | Des Moines | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 113.6 | 91.7 | 100 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 93.7 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 170.4 | 84.7 | 100 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 92.9 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Los Angeles | Des Moines | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $234,290 | $290,870 | $167,990 to $345,940 | 1,230 | +24.1% |
| Physicians, All Other | $196,760 | $309,880 | $159,760 to $366,070 | 460 | +57.5% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $204,370 | $164,840 | $131,980 to $183,360 | 2,050 | −19.3% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $190,900 | $148,330 | $127,010 to $176,090 | 360 | −22.3% |
| Financial Managers | $175,310 | $154,140 | $114,990 to $204,830 | 3,800 | −12.1% |
| Lawyers | $194,410 | $134,560 | $95,820 to $213,150 | 1,760 | −30.8% |
| Managers, All Other | $168,160 | $139,110 | $103,140 to $190,260 | 1,420 | −17.3% |
| Marketing Managers | $171,900 | $135,140 | $108,000 to $169,640 | 950 | −21.4% |
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 Des Moines to match $90,000 in Los Angeles?
- About $72,650, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 113.6 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.