Salary comparison
Machinists: Florence vs Bismarck
Florence, AL pays about 11.6% more for machinists on paper — $82,690 vs $74,090. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Florence comes out ahead by $8,600 a year in real buying power.
Florence, AL
$82,690
$47,020
$105,370
$39.76
100
$82,690/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Bismarck, ND
$74,090
$59,660
$78,710
$35.62
100
$74,090/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,600 a year (11.6%) in favor of Florence. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Florence runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Bismarck sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Florence is the better deal by $8,600 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bismarck to Florence for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.6% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do machinists earn more, Florence or Bismarck?
Florence pays $82,690 on median — about 11.6% more than Bismarck ($74,090). 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 $74,090 in the other city.