Salary Comparison
Pipelayers: Chicago vs Daly City
Side-by-side salary, take-home pay, cost of living, and lifestyle score.
Chicago, IL
$54,280/yr
Daly City, CA
$82,090/yr
Our recommendation: Daly City, CA
Daly City offers $764 more per month in disposable income, giving a stronger financial outcome despite comparable pay.
Full Breakdown
Chicago
Daly City
Diff (A−B)
Annual Gross Salary
$54,280
$82,090
$27,810
A vs B
Monthly Take-Home
After estimated federal + state taxes
$3,302
$4,994
$1,692
A vs B
Cost of Living Index
Lower is more affordable. US avg = 100
108
143
-35 pts
A vs B
Monthly Living Costs
Housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare
$2,910
$3,838
$928
A vs B
Monthly Rent
$1,750
$2,450
$700
A vs B
Monthly Disposable
$392
$1,156
$764
A vs B
Purchasing Power Score
Take-home ÷ living costs. Higher is better
1.13×
1.30×
-0.17×
A vs B
Lifestyle Score
4/10 (Tight)
5/10 (Tight)
-1
A vs B
Chicago — Full Details
Daly City — 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.