Salary comparison
Accountants and Auditors: Midland vs Seattle
Midland, TX pays about 1.5% more for accountants and auditors on paper — $100,890 vs $99,370. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Midland comes out ahead by $1,520 a year in real buying power.
Midland, TX
$100,890
$76,800
$131,370
$48.51
100
$100,890/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$99,370
$80,880
$126,800
$47.78
100
$99,370/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,520 a year (1.5%) in favor of Midland. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Midland runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Midland is the better deal by $1,520 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Seattle to Midland for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.5% 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, Midland or Seattle?
Midland pays $100,890 on median — about 1.5% more than Seattle ($99,370). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Midland. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Midland gives you roughly$100,890 of real buying power versus $99,370 in the other city.