Salary comparison
General and Operations Managers: Boulder vs Rapid City
Boulder, CO pays about 16.6% more for general and operations managers on paper — $152,100 vs $130,410. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Boulder comes out ahead by $21,690 a year in real buying power.
Boulder, CO
$152,100
$99,700
$226,850
$73.13
100
$152,100/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Rapid City, SD
$130,410
$97,350
$174,790
$62.70
100
$130,410/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $21,690 a year (16.6%) in favor of Boulder. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Boulder runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Rapid City sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Boulder is the better deal by $21,690 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Rapid City to Boulder for this role, the raise needs to beat 16.6% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do general and operations managers earn more, Boulder or Rapid City?
Boulder pays $152,100 on median — about 16.6% more than Rapid City ($130,410). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Boulder. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Boulder gives you roughly$152,100 of real buying power versus $130,410 in the other city.