Salary comparison
Accountants and Auditors: Boulder vs Parkersburg
Parkersburg, WV pays about 0.4% more for accountants and auditors on paper — $100,420 vs $99,990. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Parkersburg comes out ahead by $430 a year in real buying power.
Boulder, CO
$99,990
$78,480
$129,560
$48.07
100
$99,990/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Parkersburg, WV
$100,420
$78,900
$112,400
$48.28
100
$100,420/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $430 a year (0.4%) in favor of Parkersburg. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boulder runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Parkersburg sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Parkersburg is the better deal by $430 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Boulder to Parkersburg for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do accountants and auditors earn more, Boulder or Parkersburg?
Parkersburg pays $100,420 on median — about 0.4% more than Boulder ($99,990). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Parkersburg. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Parkersburg gives you roughly$100,420 of real buying power versus $99,990 in the other city.