Salary comparison
Office Clerks, General: Fort Collins vs Mount Vernon
Fort Collins, CO pays about 11.5% more for office clerks, general on paper — $55,960 vs $50,170. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Fort Collins comes out ahead by $5,790 a year in real buying power.
Fort Collins, CO
$55,960
$46,720
$64,880
$26.90
100
$55,960/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Mount Vernon, WA
$50,170
$44,720
$59,670
$24.12
100
$50,170/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $5,790 a year (11.5%) in favor of Fort Collins. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fort Collins runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Mount Vernon sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Fort Collins is the better deal by $5,790 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Mount Vernon to Fort Collins for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.5% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do office clerks, general earn more, Fort Collins or Mount Vernon?
Fort Collins pays $55,960 on median — about 11.5% more than Mount Vernon ($50,170). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Fort Collins. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Fort Collins gives you roughly$55,960 of real buying power versus $50,170 in the other city.