City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 6.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $106,100 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Pittsburgh, PA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $885 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Tulsa, OK ($110,047 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,236 in Tulsa | $106,117 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$885/yr.
88 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$885/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Pittsburgh → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $61,722 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $74,678 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,508 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,437 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $125,776 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $48,220 | $51,169 (−33.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $108,730 | $115,381 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $81,320 | $86,294 (+12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $84,790 | $89,976 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.