City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 6.5% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $106,500 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $464 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.3% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Salt Lake City, UT ($110,047 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,546 in Salt Lake City | $93,856 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$464/yr.
50 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$464/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Pittsburgh → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $61,722 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $74,678 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,508 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,437 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $125,776 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $77,920 | $73,133 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $129,600 | $121,638 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $82,100 | $77,056 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $85,890 | $80,613 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.