A pay relative is a calculation of paywages, salaries, commissions, and production bonuses

for a given metropolitan area relative to the nation as a whole.

The calculation controls for differences among areas in occupational composition, establishment
and occupational characteristics, and the fact that data are collected for areas at different times
during the year.
Selected metropolitan area-to-national pay relatives and major occupational groups, July 2010
(of 77 metropolitan areas surveyed)
Major Occupational Group
Metropolitan Area
Relative
Management, business, and financial New York-Newark-Bridgeport,
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA
Reno-Sparks, NV
Salinas, CA
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Pay
120
108
108
108
108

Office and administrative support

San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA 115
Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH
Hartford-West Hartford-Willimantic, CT
Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia,
DC-MD-VA-WV

120

Service

San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Salinas, CA
Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA
Hartford-West Hartford-Willimantic, CT
Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA

126
123
123
119
115
115

Production

Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Truckee, CA-NV
Bloomington-Normal, IL
Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA
Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA

117
117
116
115
113

Transportation and material moving

Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA
Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI
Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH
Kansas City, MO-KS
Salinas, CA
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

117
114
111
110
109
109

114
114
112