The Salary Index

Salary Comparison

Floor Layers: Lorain vs Chicago

Side-by-side salary, take-home pay, cost of living, and lifestyle score.

Lorain, OH

$47,695/yr

Take-home$2,901/mo
Disposable$983/mo
Lifestyle6/10 · Moderate

Chicago, IL

$69,110/yr

Take-home$4,204/mo
Disposable$1,294/mo
Lifestyle5/10 · Tight

Full Breakdown

Lorain

Chicago

Diff (A−B)

Annual Gross Salary

$47,695

$69,110

$21,415

A vs B

Monthly Take-Home

After estimated federal + state taxes

$2,901

$4,204

$1,303

A vs B

Cost of Living Index

Lower is more affordable. US avg = 100

74

108

-34 pts

A vs B

Monthly Living Costs

Housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare

$1,918

$2,910

$992

A vs B

Monthly Rent

$1,103

$1,750

$647

A vs B

Monthly Disposable

$983

$1,294

$311

A vs B

Purchasing Power Score

Take-home ÷ living costs. Higher is better

1.51×

1.44×

+0.07×

A vs B

Lifestyle Score

6/10 (Moderate)

5/10 (Tight)

+1

A vs B

Salary estimates based on BLS metro data. Cost of living from regional price indices. All figures are estimates; verify with employers before making decisions.