Cost of Living Index
The Cost of Living Index relies on volunteers like you.
The COLI Adjusted Occupational Wage Comparison Tool enables you to compare wages for the same job across the U.S. from the national level all the way down to the county level, all while accounting for cost of living differences in regions. By taking the cost of living into consideration, you can make a more informed decision around whether you should accept a job offer in another area, or if you’re better off staying put, no matter the nominal wage.
For instance, let’s say you are looking to change careers to something that will likely be a growth industry in the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently updated their list of the top 20 fastest growing occupations in the U.S. between 2024 and 2034, naming wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, and nurse practitioners as the top three fastest growing occupations. Using the COLI Adjusted Occupational Wage Comparison Tool, we can see the national annual median wage for these occupations are as follows:
At first, you might be excited to see that, at least for the average nurse practitioner, your median annual wage is a good chunk higher than the national median wage, which was $62,608 for full-time workers in 2025 according to BLS. But taking cost of living into account, you will likely end up earning less than the national median wage.
For instance, here are these occupations’ wages if you want to work in New York City:
Compare this to wages for nurse practitioners in Texas. According to the BLS, Texas employed the most nurse practitioners as of May 2025. Using the COLI Adjusted Occupational Wage Comparison Tool, we can see that while the median wage for nurse practitioners in the state of Texas is below the median wage for those in New York City, adjusting for the cost of living shows the two wages to be very similar, meaning while nurse practitioners will be earning a lot more on paper in New York City, real earnings will go just about as far in either area.
Adjusting wages based on cost of living is an important factor in choosing your occupation, as the same job is going to have different pay in different areas. Keep in mind that even if one area has higher wages on paper, the cost of living there may also be higher, nullifying any real differences in purchasing power. If you want to compare your occupational wage differences between states or even counties, the COLI Adjusted Occupational Wage Comparison Tool can help you understand what you will really earn.
To learn more about other products or how your organization can contribute to the Cost of Living Index, visit www.coli.org.
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