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 | Mountain View, CA | $115,000 | 138.5 | $83,032 | #3 (-2) |
| 2 | Sunnyvale, CA | $108,077 | 138.5 | $78,034 | #5 (-3) |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | $108,077 | 138.5 | $78,034 | #6 (-3) |
| 4 | Pleasanton, CA | $107,272 | 138.5 | $77,453 | #7 (-3) |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $105,747 | 138.5 | $76,352 | #8 (-3) |
| 6 | Redwood City, CA | $105,000 | 138.5 | $75,812 | #9 (-3) |
| 7 | Palo Alto, CA | $101,061 | 138.5 | $72,968 | #10 (-3) |
| 8 | South San Francisco, CA | $101,005 | 138.5 | $72,928 | #11 (-3) |
| 9 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $100,000 | 138.5 | $72,202 | #12 (-3) |
| 10 | Menlo Park, CA | $100,000 | 138.5 | $72,202 | #13 (-3) |
| 11 | CARLSBAD, CA | $97,000 | 138.5 | $70,036 | #14 (-3) |
| 12 | SANTA ROSA, CA | $95,805 | 138.5 | $69,173 | #15 (-3) |
| 13 | SAN CARLOS, CA | $95,000 | 138.5 | $68,592 | #16 (-3) |
| 14 | Waltham, MA | $95,000 | 146.5 | $64,846 | #22 (-8) |
| 15 | Concord, CA | $93,280 | 138.5 | $67,350 | #17 (-2) |
| 16 | Irvine, CA | $93,000 | 138.5 | $67,148 | #18 (-2) |
| 17 | New York, NE | $92,500 | 90.8 | $101,872 | #1 (+16) |
| 18 | Fremont, CA | $91,978 | 138.5 | $66,410 | #19 (-1) |
| 19 | Andover, MA | $91,552 | 146.5 | $62,493 | #23 (-4) |
| 20 | Franklin Lakes, NJ | $91,312 | 113.7 | $80,310 | #4 (+16) |
| 21 | Foster City, CA | $90,907 | 138.5 | $65,636 | #20 (+1) |
| 22 | San Francisco, CA | $90,000 | 138.5 | $64,982 | #21 (+1) |
| 23 | Waukesha, WI | $90,000 | 95.1 | $94,637 | #2 (+21) |
| 24 | Lexington, MA | $88,800 | 146.5 | $60,614 | #28 (-4) |
| 25 | Cambridge, MA | $88,442 | 146.5 | $60,370 | #29 (-4) |
| 26 | BERKELEY, CA | $86,200 | 138.5 | $62,238 | #24 (+2) |
| 27 | MARLBOROUGH, MA | $86,000 | 146.5 | $58,703 | #30 (-3) |
| 28 | San Diego, CA | $84,594 | 138.5 | $61,079 | #25 (+3) |
| 29 | Northridge, CA | $84,300 | 138.5 | $60,866 | #26 (+3) |
| 30 | Sylmar, CA | $84,047 | 138.5 | $60,684 | #27 (+3) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers is in Mountain View, CA at $115,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment New York, NE offers the best purchasing power at $101,872 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Waukesha, WI ranks #23 by nominal pay but climbs to #2 once cost of living is factored in (up 21 spots), making its $90,000 go a lot further.
- Beware: Waltham, MA looks strong at #14 on nominal pay ($95,000) but its high cost of living drops it 8 spots to #22 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.