Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Wisconsin is 15.0% cheaper overall than California.
What Other surgical specialties pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
California
- Median pay
- $308,430
- After tax
- $195,105
$176,247worth here
Wisconsin
- Median pay
- $478,880
- After tax
- $299,000
$317,747worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2024 — “Surgeons, All Other”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | California | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 110.7 | 94.1 |
| Housing (rent) | 154.3 | 79.3 |
| Utilities | 158.9 | 89.9 |
| Goods | 106.1 | 94.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.5 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 13.30% | 7.65% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 8.80% | 5.70% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.70% | 1.25% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 39,242,785 | 5,892,023 |
| Median household income | $96,334 | $75,670 |
| Median age | 37.6 | 40.1 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.80% | 67.90% |
| Median home value | $695,400 | $247,400 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
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VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.