In the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona, area, 3040 people are employed as Medical Records Specialists. The starting salary for this occupation is $30590 in the 10th percentile, and the median salary is $39900. The top earners have an annualized salary of $63090 (Job Search Intelligence, n.d.). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona area, has a cost of living score of 113, which is more expensive at 13.0% higher than the US average and 6.2% higher than the Arizona average. To live comfortably in Scottsdale, Arizona, you need a minimum annual income of $138,240 for a family and $75,600 for a single person. To live comfortably in Phoenix, Arizona, you need a minimum annual income of $79,200 for a family and $59,600 for a single person. On the other hand, to live comfortably in Mesa, Arizona, you need a minimum annual income of $81,720 for a family and $58,800 for a single person (Best Places, n.d.).

In Santa Rosa, California, there are 220 Medical Records Specialists employed. The starting salary for this occupation is at the 10th percentile, $39,010, and the median salary is $57,790 (Job Search Intelligence, n.d.). Top earners have an annualized salary of $87,250. Santa Rosa, California's cost of living score is 151.8 more expensive, 51.8% higher than the US average, and 1.3% higher than the California average. To live comfortably in Santa Rosa, California, you need a minimum annual income of $127,800 for a family and $65,600 for a single person (Best Places, n.d.).

The two areas you looked at (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ and Santa Rosa, CA) and I am not really surprised at the difference between the salaries for the two cities, especially since the cost of living is so different in these two areas. When looking at these two areas, what do you feel might be some of the factors driving the cost of living difference of almost 27%? How might this impact recruitment for the CA healthcare facilities, and as a HCA, what might you do to overcome these difficulties?