Salary comparison
Home Health and Personal Care Aides: Walla Walla vs Salem
Walla Walla, WA pays about 5.5% more for home health and personal care aides on paper — $47,700 vs $45,200. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Walla Walla comes out ahead by $2,500 a year in real buying power.
Walla Walla, WA
$47,700
$39,310
$47,700
$22.93
100
$47,700/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Salem, OR
$45,200
$38,700
$47,130
$21.73
100
$45,200/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $2,500 a year (5.5%) in favor of Walla Walla. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Walla Walla runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Salem sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Walla Walla is the better deal by $2,500 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Salem to Walla Walla for this role, the raise needs to beat 5.5% 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, Walla Walla or Salem?
Walla Walla pays $47,700 on median — about 5.5% more than Salem ($45,200). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Walla Walla. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Walla Walla gives you roughly$47,700 of real buying power versus $45,200 in the other city.