Best Cities for Office Clerks, Generals

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where office clerks, generals 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	North DakotaState	1.20	$50,160	$54,168	23%
2	ColoradoState	1.13	$53,550	$50,806	41%
3	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.12	$45,810	$50,230	32%
4	AlaskaState	1.11	$51,890	$49,751	32%
5	IowaState	1.10	$44,310	$49,675	26%
6	IndianaState	1.09	$44,520	$49,193	28%
7	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.09	$45,640	$49,181	34%
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.09	$48,790	$49,035	36%
9	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.09	$58,840	$48,952	64%
10	MichiganState	1.08	$44,820	$48,559	30%
11	MinnesotaState	1.08	$47,840	$48,816	32%
12	OregonState	1.08	$49,910	$48,456	38%
13	WisconsinState	1.08	$44,980	$48,732	29%
14	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.08	$45,040	$48,692	31%
15	District of ColumbiaState	1.07	$55,040	$48,154	46%
16	MontanaState	1.07	$46,480	$48,216	29%
17	OhioState	1.07	$43,680	$48,319	29%
18	Columbus, OHMetro	1.07	$44,830	$47,947	35%
19	MissouriState	1.06	$42,370	$47,822	29%
20	Rhode IslandState	1.06	$47,830	$47,592	38%
21	VermontState	1.05	$48,310	$47,132	35%
22	WashingtonState	1.05	$50,500	$47,064	45%
23	IllinoisState	1.04	$45,730	$46,951	34%
24	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.04	$50,640	$46,976	42%
25	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.04	$53,290	$46,623	49%
26	IdahoState	1.03	$44,830	$46,456	32%
27	New HampshireState	1.03	$49,020	$46,245	39%
28	PennsylvaniaState	1.03	$44,950	$46,340	35%
29	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.03	$45,680	$46,376	45%
30	ArizonaState	1.02	$46,420	$46,006	39%
31	MassachusettsState	1.02	$49,940	$46,028	54%
32	WyomingState	1.02	$42,840	$46,065	28%
33	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.02	$44,010	$45,939	41%
34	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.02	$51,880	$45,993	46%
35	MaineState	1.01	$45,300	$45,391	34%
36	NevadaState	1.01	$45,460	$45,369	38%
37	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.01	$44,060	$45,329	43%
38	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$43,860	$45,593	43%
39	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$47,060	$45,469	41%
40	ConnecticutState	1.00	$48,280	$44,870	39%
41	VirginiaState	1.00	$46,410	$44,841	41%
42	New JerseyState	0.99	$48,570	$44,642	44%
43	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.99	$43,330	$44,762	45%
44	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$50,710	$44,678	60%
45	North CarolinaState	0.98	$41,770	$44,248	37%
46	UtahState	0.98	$44,060	$43,972	41%
47	CaliforniaState	0.97	$48,460	$43,776	56%
48	FloridaState	0.97	$44,450	$43,793	46%
49	GeorgiaState	0.97	$40,590	$43,458	42%
50	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.97	$46,250	$43,715	44%
51	MarylandState	0.96	$47,270	$43,288	43%
52	ArkansasState	0.95	$37,050	$42,932	28%
53	KentuckyState	0.95	$37,870	$42,791	30%
54	DelawareState	0.94	$42,740	$42,317	38%
55	South DakotaState	0.94	$38,560	$42,467	30%
56	TennesseeState	0.94	$38,860	$42,470	39%
57	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.94	$38,860	$42,239	40%
58	OklahomaState	0.93	$37,240	$42,079	31%
59	NebraskaState	0.92	$37,820	$41,333	33%
60	West VirginiaState	0.92	$35,020	$41,591	29%
61	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.92	$48,100	$41,288	57%
62	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.92	$44,730	$41,226	55%
63	MississippiState	0.91	$34,900	$41,156	31%
64	New YorkState	0.91	$45,890	$40,791	48%
65	TexasState	0.91	$39,000	$40,795	43%
66	New MexicoState	0.90	$37,130	$40,359	34%
67	South CarolinaState	0.89	$36,840	$40,043	41%
68	HawaiiState	0.86	$42,340	$38,491	68%
69	AlabamaState	0.80	$31,200	$35,821	37%
70	KansasState	0.80	$32,370	$35,967	38%
71	LouisianaState	0.80	$32,480	$36,049	39%

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