Salary comparison
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Salinas vs Wenatchee
Wenatchee, WA pays about 0.1% more for elementary school teachers, except special education on paper — $100,340 vs $100,220. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Wenatchee comes out ahead by $120 a year in real buying power.
Salinas, CA
$100,220
$77,610
$115,030
$48.18
100
$100,220/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Wenatchee, WA
$100,340
$77,350
$102,380
$48.24
100
$100,340/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $120 a year (0.1%) in favor of Wenatchee. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Salinas runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Wenatchee sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Wenatchee is the better deal by $120 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Salinas to Wenatchee for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.1% 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, Salinas or Wenatchee?
Wenatchee pays $100,340 on median — about 0.1% more than Salinas ($100,220). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Wenatchee. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Wenatchee gives you roughly$100,340 of real buying power versus $100,220 in the other city.