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COL-adjusted ranking

Best Cities for Automotive Body and Related Repairerss by Take-Home Pay

The cities that pay Automotive Body and Related Repairerss the most on paper aren't usually the best deals once rent and prices are factored in. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks first with a COL-adjusted equivalent of $69,426/year, better purchasing power than San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara's higher nominal pay of $76,660. The table below uses BLS OEWS May 2024 salary data and BEA Regional Price Parities.

Highest nominal pay

#1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$76,660
#2 Santa Rosa-Petaluma$71,300
#3 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$66,040

Best purchasing power

#1 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$69,426
#2 St. Louis$66,158
#3 Santa Rosa-Petaluma$66,153

Top 25 metros by purchasing power

Ranked by COL-adjusted salary. Metros with fewer than 100 employed automotive body and related repairerss excluded.

Rank
Metro
Nominal
COL-adj.
#1
$76,660
$69,426
#2
St. Louis
23% rent burden
$62,910
$66,158
#3
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
48% rent burden
$71,300
$66,153
#4
St. Cloud
25% rent burden
$57,620
$65,754
#5
Sioux City
24% rent burden
$56,770
$65,668
#6
Joplin
20% rent burden
$56,050
$65,387
#7
$59,140
$64,493
#8
Springfield
23% rent burden
$57,060
$64,416
#9
Columbia
24% rent burden
$57,280
$64,043
#10
Kansas City
28% rent burden
$59,160
$63,929
#11
Bismarck
24% rent burden
$57,810
$63,514
#12
$62,410
$63,130
#13
Waterbury-Shelton
35% rent burden
$62,010
$62,147
#14
Lincoln
24% rent burden
$56,740
$61,957
#15
$64,400
$61,439
#16
Bakersfield-Delano
29% rent burden
$61,650
$61,106
#17
Oshkosh-Neenah
24% rent burden
$56,770
$61,089
#18
$61,620
$61,034
#19
Modesto
33% rent burden
$63,190
$60,695
#20
Baton Rouge
26% rent burden
$55,030
$60,619
#21
Sioux Falls
25% rent burden
$54,760
$60,421
#22
Tuscaloosa
27% rent burden
$52,820
$60,214
#23
$61,710
$60,058
#24
Stockton-Lodi
33% rent burden
$62,870
$59,825
#25
Trenton-Princeton
38% rent burden
$61,570
$59,672

COL-adjusted = nominal salary divided by (BEA RPP divided by 100). Rent burden = annual 2BR FMR as % of nominal salary. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents.

Common questions

What does "COL-adjusted pay" mean for Automotive Body and Related Repairerss?

COL-adjusted pay divides the BLS median salary by the BEA Regional Price Parity index (100 = national average). A salary of $76,660 in a city with RPP 120 has the same purchasing power as $63,883 at national average prices.

Why doesn't New York or San Francisco top this list?

Both cities pay above-average salaries, but rent and everyday costs eat most of that premium. A automotive body and related repairers in New York might earn 30% more but pay 60-80% more in rent. The net result is often less purchasing power than mid-cost metros.

How is purchasing power calculated?

Purchasing power equals nominal median salary divided by (BEA RPP divided by 100). BEA's Regional Price Parities measure relative price levels across metro areas, updated annually from the National Income and Product Accounts.

What's the most affordable metro for Automotive Body and Related Repairerss?

Joplin has one of the lowest rent burdens for Automotive Body and Related Repairerss in this dataset. HUD FMR for a 2-bedroom is $947/month, with a median salary of $56,050.

Where do Automotive Body and Related Repairerss get paid the most in nominal terms?

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays the highest nominal median salary at $76,660/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. But check the COL-adjusted column before accepting any relocation offer.

National salary breakdown for Automotive Body and Related RepairerssView →How to become a automotive body and related repairersGuide →Compare two cities side by sideCompare →