City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 1.9% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $101,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.1% moving from Bremerton, WA to Salem, OR ($119,630 → $114,684), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,146 in Salem | $101,889 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Salem, OR
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
75 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Bremerton, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Salem, OR | Real change, Bremerton → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $66,505 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $80,465 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $96,443 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $114,684 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $135,522 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $74,810 | $76,223 (−25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $131,620 | $134,106 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $87,480 | $89,133 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $131,750 | $134,239 (+25.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.