City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 17.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $117,400 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.7% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Seattle, WA ($110,047 → $119,630), while prices change by +17.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,389 in Seattle | $85,187 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $69,373 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $83,935 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $100,602 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $119,630 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $141,367 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $102,920 | $87,675 (+14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $167,280 | $142,501 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $99,370 | $84,650 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $128,260 | $109,261 (+32.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.