Nominal salary tells you how much money you receive. Cost-of-living-adjusted salary tells you how much that money can actually buy. A $200,000 salary in San Francisco and a $140,000 salary in Austin can provide nearly identical purchasing power. Tax differences are not included.
Where Should I Live?
Nominal vs COL-Adjusted Salary
| # | Location | Median (Nominal) | COL Index | Adjusted | COL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $86,070 | 92.3 | $93,251 | #1 |
| 2 | St. George, UT | $77,438 | 103.2 | $75,037 | #2 |
| 3 | Newark, NJ | $76,773 | 113.7 | $67,522 | #6 (-3) |
| 4 | St George, UT | $75,920 | 103.2 | $73,566 | #3 (+1) |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,880 | 108.4 | $69,077 | #4 (+1) |
| 6 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $70,720 | 102.8 | $68,794 | #5 (+1) |
| 7 | Hyannis, MA | $36,400 | 146.5 | $24,846 | #7 |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is in Chicago, IL at $86,070, but after cost-of-living adjustment Chicago, IL offers the best purchasing power at $93,251 equivalent.
- Beware: Newark, NJ looks strong at #3 on nominal pay ($76,773) but its high cost of living drops it 3 spots to #6 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.