Salary comparison
Painters, Construction and Maintenance: Santa Cruz vs Springfield
Springfield, IL pays about 2.5% more for painters, construction and maintenance on paper — $63,930 vs $62,400. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Springfield comes out ahead by $1,530 a year in real buying power.
Santa Cruz, CA
$62,400
$49,450
$73,230
$30.00
100
$62,400/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Springfield, IL
$63,930
$50,260
$80,750
$30.74
100
$63,930/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,530 a year (2.5%) in favor of Springfield. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Santa Cruz runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Springfield sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Springfield is the better deal by $1,530 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Springfield for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.5% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do painters, construction and maintenance earn more, Santa Cruz or Springfield?
Springfield pays $63,930 on median — about 2.5% more than Santa Cruz ($62,400). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Springfield. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Springfield gives you roughly$63,930 of real buying power versus $62,400 in the other city.