City comparison
Salem, OR vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 2.8% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $102,800 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.2% moving from Salem, OR to Salt Lake City, UT ($114,684 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salem, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,317 in Salt Lake City | $102,757 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salem, OR and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
77 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Salem, OR to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Salem → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $61,722 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $74,678 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $89,508 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $106,437 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $125,776 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $77,920 | $80,068 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $129,600 | $133,173 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $82,100 | $84,364 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $85,890 | $88,258 (−33.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.