Best Cities for Receptionists and Information Clerkss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where receptionists and information clerkss 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	WisconsinState	1.17	$41,150	$44,583	32%
2	AlaskaState	1.13	$44,720	$42,876	37%
3	District of ColumbiaState	1.13	$49,060	$42,922	51%
4	MaineState	1.12	$42,440	$42,525	37%
5	North DakotaState	1.12	$39,530	$42,689	30%
6	Rhode IslandState	1.12	$42,620	$42,408	42%
7	South DakotaState	1.11	$38,280	$42,159	30%
8	IowaState	1.10	$37,330	$41,850	31%
9	WashingtonState	1.10	$44,710	$41,668	51%
10	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.10	$38,220	$41,908	38%
11	NebraskaState	1.09	$37,860	$41,377	33%
12	MichiganState	1.07	$37,470	$40,596	36%
13	ArkansasState	1.06	$34,840	$40,371	30%
14	MassachusettsState	1.06	$43,870	$40,433	62%
15	MissouriState	1.06	$35,740	$40,339	35%
16	WyomingState	1.06	$37,480	$40,301	32%
17	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.06	$43,630	$40,473	49%
18	CaliforniaState	1.05	$44,100	$39,837	62%
19	ColoradoState	1.05	$42,010	$39,858	53%
20	IndianaState	1.05	$36,160	$39,956	35%
21	KansasState	1.05	$36,050	$40,056	34%
22	OhioState	1.05	$35,920	$39,735	35%
23	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.05	$37,210	$40,097	41%
24	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.05	$36,550	$39,728	43%
25	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.05	$45,820	$40,087	58%
26	OregonState	1.04	$40,900	$39,709	47%
27	Columbus, OHMetro	1.04	$36,910	$39,476	42%
28	OklahomaState	1.03	$34,560	$39,051	34%
29	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.03	$36,300	$39,243	39%
30	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.03	$47,130	$39,210	80%
31	GeorgiaState	1.02	$36,100	$38,651	47%
32	MontanaState	1.02	$37,360	$38,755	36%
33	South CarolinaState	1.02	$35,510	$38,598	42%
34	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.02	$37,530	$38,771	52%
35	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.02	$43,930	$38,705	70%
36	ArizonaState	1.01	$38,730	$38,385	46%
37	IllinoisState	1.01	$37,400	$38,398	42%
38	MinnesotaState	1.01	$37,510	$38,276	41%
39	New JerseyState	1.01	$41,650	$38,281	52%
40	New YorkState	1.01	$43,080	$38,293	51%
41	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.01	$36,810	$38,264	51%
42	IdahoState	1.00	$36,810	$38,145	39%
43	New MexicoState	1.00	$35,140	$38,196	36%
44	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$36,810	$37,948	42%
45	TennesseeState	1.00	$34,910	$38,153	43%
46	West VirginiaState	1.00	$31,920	$37,910	32%
47	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.00	$36,300	$37,891	50%
48	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.00	$37,060	$38,128	51%
49	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.00	$38,000	$38,191	47%
50	ConnecticutState	0.99	$40,630	$37,760	46%
51	HawaiiState	0.99	$41,600	$37,818	69%
52	North CarolinaState	0.99	$35,440	$37,542	44%
53	AlabamaState	0.98	$32,590	$37,417	35%
54	KentuckyState	0.98	$32,940	$37,220	35%
55	VermontState	0.98	$38,370	$37,434	45%
56	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.98	$43,280	$37,150	63%
57	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.98	$36,640	$37,198	56%
58	MississippiState	0.97	$31,160	$36,745	34%
59	NevadaState	0.97	$37,050	$36,976	47%
60	TexasState	0.97	$35,210	$36,831	47%
61	UtahState	0.97	$36,960	$36,886	48%
62	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$38,030	$36,744	50%
63	LouisianaState	0.96	$32,750	$36,349	38%
64	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.96	$41,240	$36,560	58%
65	DelawareState	0.95	$36,310	$35,950	45%
66	FloridaState	0.95	$36,810	$36,266	56%
67	New HampshireState	0.95	$38,160	$36,000	50%
68	VirginiaState	0.94	$37,060	$35,807	51%
69	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.93	$37,600	$35,539	54%
70	MarylandState	0.92	$38,100	$34,890	53%
71	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$37,570	$34,627	65%

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