Salary comparison
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education: Kahului vs San Francisco
Kahului, HI pays about 2.8% more for preschool teachers, except special education on paper — $55,340 vs $53,810. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Kahului comes out ahead by $1,530 a year in real buying power.
Kahului, HI
$55,340
$43,560
$62,400
$26.60
100
$55,340/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Francisco, CA
$53,810
$47,640
$61,350
$25.87
100
$53,810/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,530 a year (2.8%) in favor of Kahului. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Kahului runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Francisco sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Kahului is the better deal by $1,530 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Francisco to Kahului for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.8% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do preschool teachers, except special education earn more, Kahului or San Francisco?
Kahului pays $55,340 on median — about 2.8% more than San Francisco ($53,810). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Kahului. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Kahului gives you roughly$55,340 of real buying power versus $53,810 in the other city.