City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 10.2% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $110,200 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,177 in Seattle | $90,763 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
29 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Seattle, WA | Real change, Salt Lake City → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $102,920 | $93,414 (+19.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $167,280 | $151,829 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $99,370 | $90,192 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $128,260 | $116,413 (+35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.