City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 6.0% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $106,000 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Spokane, WA ($110,047 → $106,991), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,994 in Spokane | $94,345 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,044 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,068 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,974 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,991 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $126,432 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $103,630 | $106,190 | $100,184 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $130,690 | $123,299 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $86,350 | $81,467 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $111,750 | $105,430 (+28.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.