Salary comparison
Home Health and Personal Care Aides: Fairbanks vs Wenatchee
Wenatchee, WA pays about 12.2% more for home health and personal care aides on paper — $47,730 vs $42,550. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Wenatchee comes out ahead by $5,180 a year in real buying power.
Fairbanks, AK
$42,550
$37,520
$44,660
$20.46
100
$42,550/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Wenatchee, WA
$47,730
$44,730
$47,730
$22.95
100
$47,730/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $5,180 a year (12.2%) in favor of Wenatchee. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fairbanks 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 $5,180 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Fairbanks to Wenatchee for this role, the raise needs to beat 12.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do home health and personal care aides earn more, Fairbanks or Wenatchee?
Wenatchee pays $47,730 on median — about 12.2% more than Fairbanks ($42,550). 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$47,730 of real buying power versus $42,550 in the other city.