Salary comparison
Machinists: Duluth vs Florence
Florence, AL pays about 19.1% more for machinists on paper — $82,690 vs $69,440. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Florence comes out ahead by $13,250 a year in real buying power.
Duluth, MN
$69,440
$58,700
$76,990
$33.39
100
$69,440/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Florence, AL
$82,690
$47,020
$105,370
$39.76
100
$82,690/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $13,250 a year (19.1%) in favor of Florence. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Duluth runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Florence sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Florence is the better deal by $13,250 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Duluth to Florence for this role, the raise needs to beat 19.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do machinists earn more, Duluth or Florence?
Florence pays $82,690 on median — about 19.1% more than Duluth ($69,440). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Florence. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Florence gives you roughly$82,690 of real buying power versus $69,440 in the other city.