At a glance
New York is 1.3% more expensive than Seattle on BEA’s overall price index, but Seattle has the higher median rent, by $170 a month.
Price parity is 112.6 in New York and 111.1 in Seattle (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $1,830 and $2,000 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: New York vs. Seattle
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, New York has an all-items metro price level about 1.3% higher than Seattle relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. Seattle has a $170 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than New York. The metro with the higher broad price parity does not have the higher ACS rental median. That is why the index and rent should be examined separately.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Official metro indicator | New York | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 112.6 | 111.1 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $1,830 | $2,000 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $5 | ± $10 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $99,155 ± $487 | $115,177 ± $719 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 32.4% | 20.5% |
These figures cover the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in New York is worth in Seattle
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 112.6 for New York and 111.1 for Seattle, so matching on that index takes about 1.3% less gross pay in Seattle than in New York. Twelve months of median gross rent is 22.1% of median household income in New York and 20.8% in Seattle (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| Gross pay in New York | Same index value in Seattle | Gross pay in Seattle | Same index value in New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,365 | $50,000 | $50,643 |
| $75,000 | $74,047 | $75,000 | $75,965 |
| $100,000 | $98,730 | $100,000 | $101,287 |
| $150,000 | $148,094 | $150,000 | $151,930 |
| $200,000 | $197,459 | $200,000 | $202,573 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $170 a month ($2,040 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between New York and Seattle?
78 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | New York median | Seattle median | New York adjusted | Seattle adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $167,280 | $148,210 | $150,522 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,280 | $42,080 | $34,008 | $37,865 |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $128,260 | $106,358 | $115,411 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,290 | $47,740 | $38,458 | $42,958 |
| General and Operations Managers | $157,000 | $146,030 | $139,477 | $131,401 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,670 | $53,290 | $42,350 | $47,952 |
| Project Management Specialists | $126,660 | $130,380 | $112,524 | $117,319 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,590 | $53,550 | $44,055 | $48,186 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $99,370 | $93,859 | $89,415 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $65,040 | $71,240 | $57,781 | $64,103 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $128,340 | $133,690 | $114,016 | $120,297 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $100,520 | $102,170 | $89,301 | $91,935 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 0 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 12 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 78 occupations with a reported median in both metros, New York has the higher price-adjusted median in 20 and Seattle in 58. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in New York is 4.8% lower than in Seattle.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | New York adjusted | Seattle adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | $151,071 | $103,066 | New York | 46.6% |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,658 | $55,177 | Seattle | 39.1% |
| Electricians | $70,201 | $91,584 | Seattle | 30.5% |
| Medical Assistants | $42,971 | $55,339 | Seattle | 28.8% |
| Web Developers | $93,121 | $117,373 | Seattle | 26.0% |
| Industrial Engineers | $94,027 | $118,066 | Seattle | 25.6% |
| Lawyers | $185,567 | $148,453 | New York | 25.0% |
| Dental Hygienists | $97,474 | $120,342 | Seattle | 23.5% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in New York or Seattle
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 77 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
Scroll sideways to explore every column →
| BLS occupation | New York per 10,000 | Seattle per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 68.7 | 28.2 | New York | 2.4× |
| Financial Managers | 113.8 | 53.1 | New York | 2.1× |
| Lawyers | 119.7 | 57.5 | New York | 2.1× |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 9.9 | 49.4 | Seattle | 5.0× |
| Machinists | 5.4 | 26.6 | Seattle | 4.9× |
| Web Developers | 5.3 | 21.7 | Seattle | 4.1× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between New York and Seattle: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.