Best Cities for Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travels

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels 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	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.38	$116,510	$96,930	32%
2	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.21	$76,990	$84,419	19%
3	New YorkState	1.17	$92,190	$81,947	24%
4	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.17	$78,950	$81,560	25%
5	Rhode IslandState	1.16	$81,450	$81,045	22%
6	GeorgiaState	1.15	$75,280	$80,600	23%
7	MichiganState	1.14	$73,380	$79,502	18%
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.11	$77,120	$77,508	23%
9	MassachusettsState	1.10	$83,760	$77,198	32%
10	MinnesotaState	1.10	$75,370	$76,908	20%
11	ColoradoState	1.08	$79,810	$75,721	28%
12	VermontState	1.08	$77,530	$75,639	22%
13	WashingtonState	1.06	$79,920	$74,483	28%
14	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.05	$83,420	$73,498	37%
15	CaliforniaState	1.04	$80,850	$73,035	34%
16	New JerseyState	1.04	$79,200	$72,794	27%
17	ArizonaState	1.03	$72,920	$72,270	25%
18	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.03	$82,540	$72,213	32%
19	ConnecticutState	1.02	$76,940	$71,506	24%
20	North DakotaState	1.02	$66,060	$71,339	18%
21	IndianaState	1.01	$63,960	$70,674	20%
22	IowaState	1.00	$62,420	$69,978	18%
23	VirginiaState	1.00	$72,640	$70,184	26%
24	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.00	$64,950	$69,989	24%
25	KansasState	0.99	$62,580	$69,533	20%
26	WisconsinState	0.99	$64,020	$69,361	20%
27	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.99	$74,900	$69,481	29%
28	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.99	$78,110	$69,246	31%
29	IllinoisState	0.98	$66,900	$68,686	24%
30	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.98	$71,020	$68,618	27%
31	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.98	$63,370	$68,508	22%
32	AlabamaState	0.97	$58,840	$67,555	20%
33	MissouriState	0.97	$60,440	$68,217	21%
34	South DakotaState	0.97	$61,770	$68,029	19%
35	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.97	$79,450	$68,197	34%
36	DelawareState	0.96	$67,540	$66,871	24%
37	District of ColumbiaState	0.96	$76,770	$67,165	33%
38	New HampshireState	0.96	$71,510	$67,462	27%
39	New MexicoState	0.96	$61,880	$67,261	20%
40	AlaskaState	0.95	$69,610	$66,740	24%
41	North CarolinaState	0.95	$62,620	$66,335	25%
42	PennsylvaniaState	0.95	$64,480	$66,474	24%
43	OhioState	0.94	$59,390	$65,697	21%
44	TennesseeState	0.94	$60,230	$65,825	25%
45	OregonState	0.93	$67,040	$65,087	29%
46	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.93	$63,280	$65,103	30%
47	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.93	$62,930	$65,416	30%
48	TexasState	0.92	$61,680	$64,519	27%
49	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.92	$61,850	$64,562	29%
50	MaineState	0.91	$63,900	$64,028	24%
51	South CarolinaState	0.91	$58,510	$63,598	26%
52	WyomingState	0.91	$58,970	$63,409	20%
53	Columbus, OHMetro	0.91	$59,390	$63,519	26%
54	NebraskaState	0.90	$57,770	$63,137	22%
55	NevadaState	0.89	$62,450	$62,325	28%
56	OklahomaState	0.89	$54,990	$62,136	21%
57	UtahState	0.89	$62,580	$62,455	29%
58	LouisianaState	0.88	$55,200	$61,265	23%
59	IdahoState	0.87	$58,930	$61,067	24%
60	MontanaState	0.87	$58,720	$60,913	23%
61	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.86	$59,600	$60,508	35%
62	FloridaState	0.85	$60,660	$59,764	34%
63	KentuckyState	0.85	$52,750	$59,605	22%
64	West VirginiaState	0.85	$50,240	$59,667	20%
65	ArkansasState	0.84	$50,570	$58,598	21%
66	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.84	$61,840	$58,450	33%
67	MarylandState	0.83	$63,310	$57,976	32%
68	MississippiState	0.82	$48,440	$57,123	22%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.82	$62,090	$57,226	39%
70	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.79	$50,610	$55,011	31%
71	HawaiiState	0.76	$58,500	$53,182	49%

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