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 | Evanston, IL | $170,000 | 92.3 | $184,182 | #1 |
| 2 | Cambridge, MA | $160,050 | 146.5 | $109,249 | #9 (-7) |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | $155,000 | 112.8 | $137,411 | #5 (-2) |
| 4 | New York, NE | $144,113 | 90.8 | $158,715 | #2 (+2) |
| 5 | New York, NY | $140,000 | 125.1 | $111,910 | #8 (-3) |
| 6 | Ann Arbor, MI | $135,000 | 90.6 | $149,007 | #3 (+3) |
| 7 | Princeton, NJ | $132,800 | 113.7 | $116,799 | #7 |
| 8 | University Park, PA | $132,048 | 95.6 | $138,126 | #4 (+4) |
| 9 | La Jolla, CA | $130,350 | 138.5 | $94,116 | #13 (-4) |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | $127,250 | 95.6 | $133,107 | #6 (+4) |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $120,006 | 114.6 | $104,717 | #11 |
| 12 | Los Angeles, CA | $118,500 | 138.5 | $85,560 | #14 (-2) |
| 13 | Amherst, MA | $110,385 | 146.5 | $75,348 | #17 (-4) |
| 14 | Boston, MA | $110,000 | 146.5 | $75,085 | #19 (-5) |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $110,000 | 146.0 | $75,342 | #18 (-3) |
| 16 | Gainesville, FL | $109,745 | 102.8 | $106,756 | #10 (+6) |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $95,000 | 91.0 | $104,396 | #12 (+5) |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $77,570 | 92.3 | $84,041 | #15 (+3) |
| 19 | Philadelphia, PA | $74,913 | 95.6 | $78,361 | #16 (+3) |
| 20 | Hamilton, NY | $73,720 | 125.1 | $58,929 | #20 |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary is in Evanston, IL at $170,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment Evanston, IL offers the best purchasing power at $184,182 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Gainesville, FL ranks #16 by nominal pay but climbs to #10 once cost of living is factored in (up 6 spots), making its $109,745 go a lot further.
- Beware: Cambridge, MA looks strong at #2 on nominal pay ($160,050) but its high cost of living drops it 7 spots to #9 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Economics Teachers, Postsecondary wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.