Best Cities for Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondarys

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where health specialties teachers, postsecondarys get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	UtahState	1.56	$168,060	$167,725	11%
2	MississippiState	1.51	$137,220	$161,816	8%
3	CaliforniaState	1.39	$165,110	$149,151	16%
4	District of ColumbiaState	1.37	$167,520	$146,562	15%
5	MissouriState	1.37	$130,490	$147,280	10%
6	New MexicoState	1.36	$134,600	$146,304	9%
7	ArkansasState	1.35	$124,890	$144,716	8%
8	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.35	$164,450	$144,890	19%
9	IowaState	1.34	$128,490	$144,047	9%
10	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.34	$164,860	$144,234	16%
11	LouisianaState	1.29	$125,130	$138,879	10%
12	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.27	$125,830	$136,772	12%
13	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.26	$130,880	$135,207	15%
14	ColoradoState	1.21	$136,930	$129,915	16%
15	WashingtonState	1.19	$137,520	$128,164	17%
16	MassachusettsState	1.16	$134,520	$123,982	20%
17	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.12	$109,180	$119,715	13%
18	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.12	$135,670	$120,275	18%
19	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	1.11	$128,960	$118,857	19%
20	MichiganState	1.10	$108,970	$118,061	12%
21	New YorkState	1.09	$131,220	$116,640	17%
22	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.08	$134,590	$115,528	20%
23	GeorgiaState	1.07	$106,960	$114,518	16%
24	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.07	$123,500	$114,564	17%
25	TexasState	1.05	$108,150	$113,128	15%
26	PennsylvaniaState	1.04	$107,920	$111,258	14%
27	North CarolinaState	1.02	$103,220	$109,343	15%
28	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.02	$100,880	$109,059	14%
29	IndianaState	1.01	$98,170	$108,475	13%
30	North DakotaState	1.01	$100,760	$108,812	12%
31	TennesseeState	1.01	$98,870	$108,055	15%
32	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.01	$105,280	$108,313	18%
33	AlabamaState	0.99	$92,310	$105,982	12%
34	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.99	$98,940	$106,616	16%
35	DelawareState	0.98	$105,780	$104,733	15%
36	IdahoState	0.98	$101,910	$105,606	14%
37	MinnesotaState	0.98	$103,510	$105,622	15%
38	MontanaState	0.98	$101,220	$105,000	13%
39	VermontState	0.98	$107,500	$104,878	16%
40	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	0.97	$103,510	$104,030	17%
41	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$108,150	$104,493	18%
42	MaineState	0.96	$103,090	$103,297	15%
43	Rhode IslandState	0.96	$103,780	$103,264	17%
44	VirginiaState	0.96	$106,880	$103,266	18%
45	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.95	$108,160	$102,231	19%
46	WyomingState	0.94	$93,480	$100,516	13%
47	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.94	$97,260	$101,102	19%
48	OregonState	0.93	$103,180	$100,175	19%
49	MarylandState	0.92	$108,160	$99,048	19%
50	ArizonaState	0.91	$99,000	$98,117	18%
51	KansasState	0.90	$86,700	$96,333	14%
52	IllinoisState	0.89	$92,860	$95,339	17%
53	KentuckyState	0.88	$83,680	$94,554	14%
54	South CarolinaState	0.84	$82,480	$89,652	18%
55	New JerseyState	0.83	$96,630	$88,814	22%
56	NebraskaState	0.82	$80,960	$88,481	15%
57	WisconsinState	0.82	$81,500	$88,299	16%
58	FloridaState	0.81	$88,710	$87,399	23%
59	South DakotaState	0.81	$78,720	$86,696	15%
60	OklahomaState	0.80	$76,450	$86,384	15%
61	Columbus, OHMetro	0.79	$79,060	$84,556	20%
62	OhioState	0.77	$74,720	$82,655	17%
63	New HampshireState	0.75	$85,250	$80,425	22%
64	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.74	$78,660	$79,858	26%
65	NevadaState	0.72	$77,160	$77,006	23%
66	HawaiiState	0.69	$81,480	$74,073	35%
67	West VirginiaState	0.67	$60,300	$71,615	17%
68	AlaskaState	0.66	$73,890	$70,844	22%
69	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.65	$66,760	$69,687	27%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).