How Salary Survey Midpoints Can Be Misleading, and What You Can Do About It

By Christie Summervill

How Salary Survey Midpoints Can Be Misleading, and What You Can Do About It

The midpoints in surveys reflect the national averages and medians for each position. To customize the survey data for your local market, you have to multiply the local variances – listed below and technically called geographic wage differentials if you want to impress your boss – by the national salary midpoint for a specific non exempt, exempt or executive position to determine the correct midpoint in your market. The maximum of the range is typically 120% of the midpoint. The minimum of the range is typically 80% of the midpoint.

2014 Local Variances for 125 U.S. Cities

Alabama Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Birmingham 92.0 92.0 100.0
Montgomery 89.0 93.0 99.0
Mobile 89.0 89.0 97.0
Alaska Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Anchorage 116.5 113.0 105.5
Fairbanks 119.4 112.5 104.5
Arizona Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Phoenix 98.0 98.0 102.0
Tuscon 99.0 97.0 99.5
Chandler 99.0 99.0 99.5
Arkansas Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Little Rock 89.0 90.0 95.0
Fort Smith 85.0 85.0 94.0
Fayetteville 88.0 90.0 96.0
California Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Los Angeles 108.0 113.0 114.0
San Diego 106.0 109.0 109.5
San Francisco 124.5 125.0 125.0
Colorado Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Denver 105.0 105.0 105.0
Colorado Springs 98.0 98.5 101.5
Connecticut Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Bridgeport 115.0 118.0 118.0
Hartford 100.0 106.0 106.0
Delaware Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Wilmington 105.0 107.0 108.5
Dover 97.5 99.0 101.5
Florida Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Jacksonville 98.0 98.0 104.0
Miami 96.0 99.0 105.0
Orlando 94.0 94.5 102.0
Georgia Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Atlanta 97.0 100.0 104.0
Augusta 90.0 93.5 98.5
Hawaii Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Honolulu 109.0 109.0 104.0
Pearl City 107.5 107.5 103.0
Idaho Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Boise 94.0 94.0 97.0
Nampa 93.0 93.0 94.5
Illinois Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Chicago 107.5 110.5 110.5
Rockford 101.0 101.0 101.3
Indiana Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Indianapolis 98.0 98.0 98.5
Fort Wayne 94.0 94.0 96.0
Iowa Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Des Moines 97.0 97.0 97.0
Cedar Rapids 95.0 95.0 98.5
Kansas Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Wichita 93.0 94.0 96.0
Overland Park 98.0 98.0 99.0
Topeaka 91.5 91.5 94.0
Kentucky Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Louisville 90.0 90.0 97.0
Lexington 92.5 92.5 94.5
Louisiana Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
New Orleans 100.5 101.5 102.0
Baton Rouge 90.0 93.0 96.0
Shreveport 88.5 91.0 95.5
Maine Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Portland 98.5 95.0 97.5
Lewiston 93.0 91.0 95.0
Maryland Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Baltimore 103.5 103.5 104.5
Frederick 107.0 111.0 109.5
Massachusetts Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Boston 117.0 117.5 114.5
Worcester 109.0 106.5 104.5
Springfield 104.5 102.0 102.0
Michigan Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Detroit 106.5 107.0 104.5
Grand Rapids 100.5 100.5 99.5
Minnesota Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Minneapolis 107.5 106.5 106.5
St. Paul 107.0 107.0 107.0
Rochester 101.5 102.0 103.5
Mississippi Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Jackson 88.0 88.5 92.5
Gulfport 86.3 88.2 93.0
Southaven 94.5 97.5 103.0
Missouri Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Kansas City 99.3 100.0 101.5
St. Louis 100.5 100.5 100.0
Springfield 88.5 88.5 95.0
Montana Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Billings 90.0 93.0 93.0
Missoula 89.0 88.0 91.0
Nebraska Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Omaha 95.0 95.0 97.5
Lincoln 90.5 91.0 95.0
Bellevue 94.0 94.0 96.5
Nevada Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Las Vegas 100.0 100.0 107.5
Henderson 106.0 106.0 106.0
Reno 103.0 104.5 104.5
New Hampshire Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Manchester 102.0 102.0 102.0
Nashua 110.5 111.5 110.5
New Jersey Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Newark 112.0 115.5 116.0
Jersey City 113.0 119.5 119.5
Paterson 114.0 119.0 119.0
New Mexico Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Albuquerque 95.0 96.0 100.0
Las Cruces 85.0 88.0 95.5
New York Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
New York City 116.0 122.0 122.0
Buffalo 99.0 99.0 101.0
Rochester 99.0 100.5 105.0
North Carolina Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Charlotte 96.5 99.0 106.0
Raleigh 99.0 99.0 105.0
Greensboro 93.5 95.5 101.0
North Dakota Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Fargo 94.0 94.0 94.0
Bismarck 94.0 94.0 94.0
Ohio Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Columbus 100.0 100.0 101.0
Cleveland 100.0 100.5 101.0
Cincinnati 99.0 99.0 101.0
Oklahoma Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Oklahoma City 89.0 89.0 92.5
Tulsa 92.5 95.5 98.5
Norman 89.0 89.0 93.0
Oregon Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Portland 106.5 104.5 102.5
Eugene 102.0 98.0 100.0
Salem 100.5 97.0 97.0
Pennsylvania Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Philadelphia 107.5 107.5 107.5
Pittsburgh 97.5 97.5 99.0
Allentown 99.5 100.0 101.0
Rhode Island Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Providence 104.0 104.5 104.5
Warwick 105.5 105.5 105.5
South Carolina Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Columbia 91.5 92.5 95.0
Charleston 93.0 93.5 95.5
South Dakota Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Sioux Falls 89.0 89.0 98.0
Rapid City 86.0 86.5 96.0
Tennessee Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Memphis 94.0 95.0 99.0
Nashville 94.5 94.5 95.0
Knoxville 90.5 91.5 97.0
Texas Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Houston 97.0 105.0 110.0
San Antonio 93.0 93.0 101.0
Dallas 97.0 102.0 108.5
Utah Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Salt Lake City 95.5 95.5 98.5
West Valley City 96.0 96.0 98.5
Vermont Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Burlington 100.0 98.0 102.0
Essex 99.0 97.5 101.5
Virginia Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Virginia Beach 93.5 96.5 100.0
Norfolk 94.0 97.0 100.5
Chesapeake 93.0 95.5 99.5
Washington Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Seattle 114.5 112.5 112.5
Spokane 100.0 100.0 103.5
Tacoma 110.0 108.0 106.0
West Virginia Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Charleston 88.5 89.5 94.5
Huntington 85.0 87.5 94.0
Wisconsin Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Milwaukee 102.5 102.5 104.0
Madison 100.5 98.5 98.5
Wyoming Non-Exempt Exempt Executive
Cheyenne 91.0 91.0 92.0
Casper 89.5 89.5 93.5

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