Salary comparison
Medical Records Specialists: Iowa City vs Seattle
Iowa City, IA pays about 1.2% more for medical records specialists on paper — $66,340 vs $65,530. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Iowa City comes out ahead by $810 a year in real buying power.
Iowa City, IA
$66,340
$54,410
$66,340
$31.90
100
$66,340/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$65,530
$53,610
$81,830
$31.51
100
$65,530/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $810 a year (1.2%) in favor of Iowa City. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Iowa City runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Iowa City is the better deal by $810 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Seattle to Iowa City for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do medical records specialists earn more, Iowa City or Seattle?
Iowa City pays $66,340 on median — about 1.2% more than Seattle ($65,530). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Iowa City. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Iowa City gives you roughly$66,340 of real buying power versus $65,530 in the other city.