Salary comparison
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: San Francisco vs Topeka
Topeka, KS pays about 1.5% more for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand on paper — $49,140 vs $48,400. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Topeka comes out ahead by $740 a year in real buying power.
San Francisco, CA
$48,400
$45,000
$56,020
$23.27
100
$48,400/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Topeka, KS
$49,140
$37,500
$51,030
$23.62
100
$49,140/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $740 a year (1.5%) in favor of Topeka. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
San Francisco runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Topeka sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Topeka is the better deal by $740 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Francisco to Topeka for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.5% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand earn more, San Francisco or Topeka?
Topeka pays $49,140 on median — about 1.5% more than San Francisco ($48,400). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Topeka. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Topeka gives you roughly$49,140 of real buying power versus $48,400 in the other city.