$90,000 in Memphis ≈ $98,590 in Charleston
$98,590
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (92.2 → 101). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Charleston run +9.5% vs Memphis for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Chief Executives in Memphis Chief Executives in Charleston
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Memphis Computer and Information Systems Managers in Charleston
- Financial Managers in Memphis Financial Managers in Charleston
- Pharmacists in Memphis Pharmacists in Charleston
- Marketing Managers in Memphis Marketing Managers in Charleston
- Memphis RPP
- 92.2
- Charleston RPP
- 101
- Price gap
- +9.5%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Charleston run +9.5% versus Memphis on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are higher at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Memphis maps to about $98,590 in Charleston for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Charleston
| In Memphis | In Charleston |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $65,727 |
| $90,000 | $98,590 |
| $150,000 | $164,317 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (101 ÷ 92.2). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Memphis | Charleston | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.2 | 101.0 | 100 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 79.8 | 119.8 | 100 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.3 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Memphis | Charleston | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $196,680 | $197,220 | $136,730 to $289,930 | 290 | +0.3% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $161,790 | $167,000 | $120,750 to $215,250 | 940 | +3.2% |
| Financial Managers | $143,880 | $147,170 | $110,410 to $206,720 | 1,420 | +2.3% |
| Pharmacists | $134,220 | $145,950 | $130,860 to $161,620 | 920 | +8.7% |
| Marketing Managers | $132,540 | $138,790 | $103,570 to $194,930 | 800 | +4.7% |
| Sales Managers | $128,560 | $139,830 | $97,330 to $179,700 | 1,660 | +8.8% |
| Human Resources Managers | $138,560 | $127,080 | $96,880 to $163,540 | 420 | −8.3% |
| Computer Network Architects | $126,400 | $137,930 | $117,490 to $160,300 | 480 | +9.1% |
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 Memphis?
- About $98,590, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 92.2 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.