Salary comparison
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Kennewick vs Merced
Kennewick, WA pays about 0.3% more for elementary school teachers, except special education on paper — $100,380 vs $100,120. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Kennewick comes out ahead by $260 a year in real buying power.
Kennewick, WA
$100,380
$79,600
$111,690
$48.26
100
$100,380/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Merced, CA
$100,120
$92,570
$128,220
$48.13
100
$100,120/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $260 a year (0.3%) in favor of Kennewick. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Kennewick runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Merced sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Kennewick is the better deal by $260 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Merced to Kennewick for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do elementary school teachers, except special education earn more, Kennewick or Merced?
Kennewick pays $100,380 on median — about 0.3% more than Merced ($100,120). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Kennewick. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Kennewick gives you roughly$100,380 of real buying power versus $100,120 in the other city.