Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Merced vs Salem
Salem, OR pays about 0.1% more for registered nurses on paper — $131,750 vs $131,620. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Salem comes out ahead by $130 a year in real buying power.
Merced, CA
$131,620
$118,890
$151,880
$63.28
100
$131,620/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Salem, OR
$131,750
$109,870
$132,930
$63.34
100
$131,750/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $130 a year (0.1%) in favor of Salem. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Merced runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Salem sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Salem is the better deal by $130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Merced to Salem for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do registered nurses earn more, Merced or Salem?
Salem pays $131,750 on median — about 0.1% more than Merced ($131,620). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Salem. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Salem gives you roughly$131,750 of real buying power versus $131,620 in the other city.