$90,000 in Milwaukee ≈ $85,170 in Des Moines
$85,170
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (96.9 → 91.7). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Des Moines run −5.4% vs Milwaukee for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Physicians, All Other in Milwaukee Physicians, All Other in Des Moines
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Milwaukee Computer and Information Systems Managers in Des Moines
- Financial Managers in Milwaukee Financial Managers in Des Moines
- Pharmacists in Milwaukee Pharmacists in Des Moines
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Milwaukee Architectural and Engineering Managers in Des Moines
- Milwaukee RPP
- 96.9
- Des Moines RPP
- 91.7
- Price gap
- −5.4%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Des Moines run −5.4% versus Milwaukee on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Milwaukee maps to about $85,170 in Des Moines for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Des Moines
| In Milwaukee | In Des Moines |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $56,780 |
| $90,000 | $85,170 |
| $150,000 | $141,950 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (91.7 ÷ 96.9). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Milwaukee | Des Moines | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 96.9 | 91.7 | 100 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 93.7 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 97.1 | 84.7 | 100 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 92.9 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Milwaukee | Des Moines | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $411,200 | $309,880 | $159,760 to $366,070 | 460 | −24.6% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $161,220 | $164,840 | $131,980 to $183,360 | 2,050 | +2.2% |
| Financial Managers | $156,100 | $154,140 | $114,990 to $204,830 | 3,800 | −1.3% |
| Pharmacists | $153,340 | $141,110 | $130,370 to $162,570 | 850 | −8.0% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $143,570 | $148,330 | $127,010 to $176,090 | 360 | +3.3% |
| Sales Managers | $144,560 | $136,570 | $102,110 to $173,000 | 1,200 | −5.5% |
| Human Resources Managers | $136,530 | $138,140 | $112,060 to $175,380 | 520 | +1.2% |
| Physician Assistants | $135,040 | $133,830 | $114,530 to $158,740 | 340 | −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 Des Moines to match $90,000 in Milwaukee?
- About $85,170, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 96.9 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.