Salary comparison
Medical Records Specialists: Sacramento vs Iowa City
Sacramento, CA pays about 13.3% more for medical records specialists on paper — $75,150 vs $66,340. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Sacramento comes out ahead by $8,810 a year in real buying power.
Sacramento, CA
$75,150
$56,530
$88,610
$36.13
100
$75,150/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Iowa City, IA
$66,340
$54,410
$66,340
$31.90
100
$66,340/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,810 a year (13.3%) in favor of Sacramento. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Sacramento runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Iowa City sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Sacramento is the better deal by $8,810 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Iowa City to Sacramento for this role, the raise needs to beat 13.3% 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, Sacramento or Iowa City?
Sacramento pays $75,150 on median — about 13.3% more than Iowa City ($66,340). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Sacramento. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Sacramento gives you roughly$75,150 of real buying power versus $66,340 in the other city.