Salary comparison
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: Niles vs Santa Maria
Niles, MI pays about 9.3% more for occupational health and safety specialists on paper — $113,680 vs $104,000. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Niles comes out ahead by $9,680 a year in real buying power.
Niles, MI
$113,680
$91,800
$126,880
$54.66
100
$113,680/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Maria, CA
$104,000
$75,020
$124,950
$50.00
100
$104,000/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $9,680 a year (9.3%) in favor of Niles. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Niles runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Maria sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Niles is the better deal by $9,680 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Maria to Niles for this role, the raise needs to beat 9.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do occupational health and safety specialists earn more, Niles or Santa Maria?
Niles pays $113,680 on median — about 9.3% more than Santa Maria ($104,000). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Niles. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Niles gives you roughly$113,680 of real buying power versus $104,000 in the other city.