How Local Prices Change Creative Pay Rankings

This table shows the metros with the largest ranking gains and losses after local price levels are applied to their creative-wage benchmarks. Rank movement compares each metro’s nominal wage position with its final Real Paycheck rank. Dollar values are reported in Section 1, while this section focuses on how local prices change the ordering.

Rank movement shows the metro’s nominal creative-wage rank followed by its Real Paycheck rank after local prices are applied.
Places gained or lost equals nominal wage rank minus Real Paycheck rank. A positive number means the metro rises after adjustment; a negative number means it falls.
Local price level vs. U.S. average is based on the metro’s 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity. Calculations use the underlying unrounded RPP values.
Metros with the same number of places moved are ordered by their final Real Paycheck rank. Rank movement is relative to all 30 metros and does not represent dollars added to or removed from a salary.
See more in methodology.