$90,000 in Seattle ≈ $89,433 in San Jose

$89,433

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (111.1 → 110.4). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in San Jose run −0.6% vs Seattle for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Seattle RPP
111.1
San Jose RPP
110.4
Price gap
−0.6%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in San Jose run −0.6% versus Seattle on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Seattle maps to about $89,433 in San Jose for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in San Jose: $89,433

Live math: salary × (110.4 ÷ 111.1). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in San Jose

In SeattleIn San Jose
$60,000$59,622
$90,000$89,433
$150,000$149,055

Equivalent = origin salary × (110.4 ÷ 111.1). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentSeattleSan JoseUS
All items111.1110.4100
Goods104.0105.2100
Housing (rents)151.3211.9100
Other services106.8100.3100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationSeattleSan JoseDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,680$291,660$219,860 to $319,54019,070+35.9%
Lawyers$164,980$301,320$176,840 to $375,4006,040+82.6%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$204,340$234,590$214,320 to $292,2505,130+14.8%
Financial Managers$185,550$225,280$176,900 to $327,8407,970+21.4%
Marketing Managers$175,850$231,370$184,390 to $318,9107,300+31.6%
Human Resources Managers$171,360$220,460$168,530 to $307,4602,800+28.7%
Physician Assistants$167,290$223,640$167,230 to $250,2401,030+33.7%
Managers, All Other$168,980$217,280$172,290 to $300,01013,740+28.6%

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 San Jose to match $90,000 in Seattle?
About $89,433, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 111.1 and 110.4. 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.