Salary comparison
Physical Therapists: Merced vs Santa Fe
Merced, CA pays about 0.9% more for physical therapists on paper — $126,000 vs $124,870. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Merced comes out ahead by $1,130 a year in real buying power.
Merced, CA
$126,000
$100,080
$156,880
$60.58
100
$126,000/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Fe, NM
$124,870
$103,340
$142,420
$60.03
100
$124,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,130 a year (0.9%) in favor of Merced. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Merced runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Fe sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Merced is the better deal by $1,130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Fe to Merced for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do physical therapists earn more, Merced or Santa Fe?
Merced pays $126,000 on median — about 0.9% more than Santa Fe ($124,870). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Merced. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Merced gives you roughly$126,000 of real buying power versus $124,870 in the other city.