Salary comparison
Billing and Posting Clerks: Rochester vs Santa Cruz
Rochester, MN pays about 15.4% more for billing and posting clerks on paper — $67,390 vs $58,400. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Rochester comes out ahead by $8,990 a year in real buying power.
Rochester, MN
$67,390
$52,190
$67,390
$32.40
100
$67,390/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$58,400
$50,590
$72,860
$28.08
100
$58,400/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,990 a year (15.4%) in favor of Rochester. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Rochester runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Rochester is the better deal by $8,990 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Rochester for this role, the raise needs to beat 15.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do billing and posting clerks earn more, Rochester or Santa Cruz?
Rochester pays $67,390 on median — about 15.4% more than Santa Cruz ($58,400). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Rochester. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Rochester gives you roughly$67,390 of real buying power versus $58,400 in the other city.