BEA regional price parities, 2024
Compare a wage in two metros
The dollars BLS published, then those dollars in national prices. A higher wage in a more expensive metro can buy less.
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
| Metro | Published median | Employment | Price parity | In national prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $105,160 | 110 | 91.701 | $114,677 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $91,450 | 1,030 | 98.629 | $92,721 |
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA · Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
A wage of $113,105 in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has about the same purchasing power as the $105,160 median in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. In the other direction, $85,026 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA matches the $91,450 median in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Price parities describe a broad price level for 2024. Wages are May 2025. The index is not a household budget and it is not a cost-of-living allowance. How the comparison works.
Questions this page answers
How are wages adjusted for local prices?
A nominal wage is divided by the metro's 2024 all-items regional price parity and multiplied by 100. The United States equals 100. The parity is the Bureau of Economic Analysis series released February 19, 2026. The wages are the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
What salary in one metro matches a salary in another?
Multiply the salary by the second metro's price parity and divide by the first metro's price parity. The comparison page does that for the published median and for a wage you enter.