The Salary Index

Salary Comparison

Pipelayers: Tempe vs Berkeley

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

Tempe, AZ

$57,239/yr

Take-home$3,482/mo
Disposable$797/mo
Lifestyle5/10 · Tight

Berkeley, CA

$82,090/yr

Take-home$4,994/mo
Disposable$1,016/mo
Lifestyle4/10 · Tight

Full Breakdown

Tempe

Berkeley

Diff (A−B)

Annual Gross Salary

$57,239

$82,090

$24,851

A vs B

Monthly Take-Home

After estimated federal + state taxes

$3,482

$4,994

$1,512

A vs B

Cost of Living Index

Lower is more affordable. US avg = 100

100

148

-48 pts

A vs B

Monthly Living Costs

Housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare

$2,685

$3,978

$1,293

A vs B

Monthly Rent

$1,550

$2,550

$1,000

A vs B

Monthly Disposable

$797

$1,016

$219

A vs B

Purchasing Power Score

Take-home ÷ living costs. Higher is better

1.30×

1.26×

+0.04×

A vs B

Lifestyle Score

5/10 (Tight)

4/10 (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.