$90,000 in New York ≈ $73,295 in Des Moines

$73,295

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (112.6 → 91.7). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Des Moines run −18.6% vs New York for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

New York RPP
112.6
Des Moines RPP
91.7
Price gap
−18.6%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Des Moines run −18.6% versus New York on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in New York maps to about $73,295 in Des Moines for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Des Moines: $73,295

Live math: salary × (91.7 ÷ 112.6). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Des Moines

In New YorkIn Des Moines
$60,000$48,863
$90,000$73,295
$150,000$122,158

Equivalent = origin salary × (91.7 ÷ 112.6). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentNew YorkDes MoinesUS
All items112.691.7100
Goods110.393.7100
Housing (rents)148.684.7100
Other services105.892.9100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationNew YorkDes MoinesDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Chief Executives$301,440$290,870$167,990 to $345,9401,230−3.5%
Physicians, All Other$265,930$309,880$159,760 to $366,070460+16.5%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$215,300$164,840$131,980 to $183,3602,050−23.4%
Financial Managers$221,010$154,140$114,990 to $204,8303,800−30.3%
Sales Managers$215,150$136,570$102,110 to $173,0001,200−36.5%
Lawyers$208,880$134,560$95,820 to $213,1501,760−35.6%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$183,890$148,330$127,010 to $176,090360−19.3%
Marketing Managers$192,840$135,140$108,000 to $169,640950−29.9%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Des Moines to match $90,000 in New York?
About $73,295, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 112.6 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.