$90,000 in Portland ≈ $87,524 in Worcester

$87,524

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (105.4 → 102.5). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Worcester run −2.8% vs Portland for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Portland RPP
105.4
Worcester RPP
102.5
Price gap
−2.8%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Worcester run −2.8% versus Portland on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Portland maps to about $87,524 in Worcester for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Worcester: $87,524

Live math: salary × (102.5 ÷ 105.4). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Worcester

In PortlandIn Worcester
$60,000$58,349
$90,000$87,524
$150,000$145,873

Equivalent = origin salary × (102.5 ÷ 105.4). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentPortlandWorcesterUS
All items105.4102.5100
Goods105.297.0100
Housing (rents)125.1113.0100
Other services100.1101.2100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationPortlandWorcesterDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Computer and Information Systems Managers$183,720$193,890$152,850 to $223,1001,150+5.5%
Marketing Managers$172,610$199,280$151,060 to $227,330590+15.5%
Financial Managers$164,680$170,940$127,950 to $221,3201,560+3.8%
Sales Managers$162,640$162,810$119,700 to $216,850950+0.1%
Physician Assistants$163,810$152,860$126,250 to $166,650470−6.7%
Human Resources Managers$148,900$160,470$117,830 to $206,950460+7.8%
Software Developers$156,000$146,950$120,330 to $167,2901,800−5.8%
Pharmacists$168,830$132,930$129,480 to $152,800760−21.3%

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 Worcester to match $90,000 in Portland?
About $87,524, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 105.4 and 102.5. 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.