Salary Comparison
Food Batchmakers: Ames vs Seattle
Side-by-side salary, take-home pay, cost of living, and lifestyle score.
Ames, IA
$35,396/yr
Seattle, WA
$45,060/yr
Our recommendation: Ames, IA
Ames offers $476 more per month in disposable income, giving a stronger financial outcome despite a lower gross salary.
Full Breakdown
Ames
Seattle
Diff (A−B)
Annual Gross Salary
$35,396
$45,060
$9,664
A vs B
Monthly Take-Home
After estimated federal + state taxes
$2,153
$2,741
$588
A vs B
Cost of Living Index
Lower is more affordable. US avg = 100
89
126
-37 pts
A vs B
Monthly Living Costs
Housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare
$2,306
$3,370
$1,064
A vs B
Monthly Rent
$1,326
$2,050
$724
A vs B
Monthly Disposable
$-153
$-629
+$476
A vs B
Purchasing Power Score
Take-home ÷ living costs. Higher is better
0.93×
0.81×
+0.12×
A vs B
Lifestyle Score
3/10 (Tight)
2/10 (Tight)
+1
A vs B
Ames — Full Details
Seattle — Full Details
Salary estimates based on BLS metro data. Cost of living from regional price indices. All figures are estimates; verify with employers before making decisions.