$90,000 in Phoenix ≈ $85,905 in Houston
$85,905
Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (103.3 → 98.6). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.
Prices in Houston run −4.5% vs Phoenix for equal purchasing power at this salary level.
Same job, both metros
- Chief Executives in Phoenix Chief Executives in Houston
- Computer and Information Systems Managers in Phoenix Computer and Information Systems Managers in Houston
- Architectural and Engineering Managers in Phoenix Architectural and Engineering Managers in Houston
- Financial Managers in Phoenix Financial Managers in Houston
- Lawyers in Phoenix Lawyers in Houston
- Phoenix RPP
- 103.3
- Houston RPP
- 98.6
- Price gap
- −4.5%
- Base salary
- $90,000
Prices in Houston run −4.5% versus Phoenix on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Phoenix maps to about $85,905 in Houston for equal purchasing power.
Salary needed in Houston
| In Phoenix | In Houston |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $57,270 |
| $90,000 | $85,905 |
| $150,000 | $143,175 |
Equivalent = origin salary × (98.6 ÷ 103.3). Adjust the base with the slider above.
Price level components
| Component | Phoenix | Houston | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.3 | 98.6 | 100 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 100.6 | 100 |
| Housing (rents) | 121.2 | 104.5 | 100 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 95.6 | 100 |
BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.
Wages in both metros
| Occupation | Phoenix | Houston | Dest. middle half | Dest. OEWS emp. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $138,900 | $275,270 | $182,990 to $435,040 | 1,920 | +98.2% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $169,720 | $172,160 | $136,430 to $212,710 | 13,090 | +1.4% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $169,310 | $172,020 | $155,420 to $217,550 | 5,330 | +1.6% |
| Financial Managers | $145,940 | $166,910 | $130,430 to $217,130 | 18,570 | +14.4% |
| Lawyers | $135,670 | $157,980 | $105,240 to $243,930 | 16,810 | +16.4% |
| Human Resources Managers | $145,610 | $142,110 | $105,090 to $177,120 | 5,890 | −2.4% |
| Marketing Managers | $132,580 | $153,030 | $109,990 to $200,950 | 8,930 | +15.4% |
| Pharmacists | $144,490 | $140,470 | $127,070 to $163,510 | 6,410 | −2.8% |
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 Houston to match $90,000 in Phoenix?
- About $85,905, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 103.3 and 98.6. 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.