$90,000 in San Diego ≈ $74,477 in Knoxville

$74,477

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (111.9 → 92.6). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Knoxville run −17.2% vs San Diego for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

San Diego RPP
111.9
Knoxville RPP
92.6
Price gap
−17.2%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Knoxville run −17.2% versus San Diego on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in San Diego maps to about $74,477 in Knoxville for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Knoxville: $74,477

Live math: salary × (92.6 ÷ 111.9). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Knoxville

In San DiegoIn Knoxville
$60,000$49,651
$90,000$74,477
$150,000$124,129

Equivalent = origin salary × (92.6 ÷ 111.9). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentSan DiegoKnoxvilleUS
All items111.992.6100
Goods108.096.2100
Housing (rents)179.382.8100
Other services99.695.1100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationSan DiegoKnoxvilleDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Physicians, All Other$323,050$276,370$170,390 to $407,960690−14.4%
Chief Executives$238,440$198,890$106,670 to $299,840510−16.6%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$202,810$162,950$126,630 to $218,510610−19.7%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$206,740$143,650$123,410 to $174,8901,380−30.5%
Financial Managers$174,210$133,570$99,830 to $175,8702,090−23.3%
Marketing Managers$174,840$131,040$93,950 to $172,160930−25.1%
Lawyers$178,220$126,520$96,840 to $187,4001,250−29.0%
Pharmacists$165,130$132,460$123,000 to $145,220990−19.8%

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 Knoxville to match $90,000 in San Diego?
About $74,477, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 111.9 and 92.6. 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.