$90,000 in Worcester ≈ $85,434 in Madison

$85,434

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (102.5 → 97.3). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Madison run −5.1% vs Worcester for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Worcester RPP
102.5
Madison RPP
97.3
Price gap
−5.1%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Madison run −5.1% versus Worcester on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Worcester maps to about $85,434 in Madison for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Madison: $85,434

Live math: salary × (97.3 ÷ 102.5). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Madison

In WorcesterIn Madison
$60,000$56,956
$90,000$85,434
$150,000$142,390

Equivalent = origin salary × (97.3 ÷ 102.5). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentWorcesterMadisonUS
All items102.597.3100
Goods97.093.8100
Housing (rents)113.099.7100
Other services101.299.4100

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

Wages in both metros

OccupationWorcesterMadisonDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Computer and Information Systems Managers$193,890$168,900$132,680 to $198,7602,540−12.9%
Architectural and Engineering Managers$179,150$160,700$134,250 to $175,640750−10.3%
Marketing Managers$199,280$138,270$110,280 to $172,5401,000−30.6%
Financial Managers$170,940$148,970$110,010 to $197,6202,320−12.9%
Sales Managers$162,810$146,380$103,580 to $202,1101,660−10.1%
Human Resources Managers$160,470$140,680$114,410 to $170,160660−12.3%
Managers, All Other$164,730$129,330$98,440 to $170,5802,590−21.5%
Physician Assistants$152,860$133,950$110,030 to $157,830490−12.4%

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 Madison to match $90,000 in Worcester?
About $85,434, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 102.5 and 97.3. 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.