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 | Middlebury, VT | $74,651 | 114.6 | $65,141 | #3 (-2) |
| 2 | New York, NE | $71,173 | 90.8 | $78,384 | #1 (+1) |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $66,600 | 138.5 | $48,087 | #19 (-16) |
| 4 | BERKELEY, CA | $66,305 | 138.5 | $47,874 | #20 (-16) |
| 5 | Cambridge, MA | $64,945 | 146.5 | $44,331 | #24 (-19) |
| 6 | Honolulu, HI | $64,284 | 180.3 | $35,654 | #30 (-24) |
| 7 | New York, NY | $62,400 | 125.1 | $49,880 | #18 (-11) |
| 8 | Princeton, NJ | $61,700 | 113.7 | $54,266 | #13 (-5) |
| 9 | New Haven, CT | $61,500 | 112.8 | $54,521 | #12 (-3) |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $60,000 | 146.5 | $40,956 | #25 (-15) |
| 11 | Notre Dame, IN | $60,000 | 91.0 | $65,934 | #2 (+9) |
| 12 | ITHACA, NY | $59,350 | 125.1 | $47,442 | #21 (-9) |
| 13 | Amherst, MA | $58,390 | 146.5 | $39,857 | #27 (-14) |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $57,854 | 95.1 | $60,835 | #7 (+7) |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $57,013 | 146.0 | $39,050 | #28 (-13) |
| 16 | Bronx, NY | $56,950 | 125.1 | $45,524 | #22 (-6) |
| 17 | Evanston, IL | $56,525 | 92.3 | $61,241 | #6 (+11) |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $55,885 | 91.0 | $61,412 | #5 (+13) |
| 19 | Iowa City, IA | $55,723 | 90.3 | $61,709 | #4 (+15) |
| 20 | Santa Barbara, CA | $55,474 | 138.5 | $40,053 | #26 (-6) |
| 21 | Charlottesville, VA | $53,900 | 100.7 | $53,525 | #14 (+7) |
| 22 | University Park, PA | $53,667 | 95.6 | $56,137 | #11 (+11) |
| 23 | University, MS | $52,500 | 86.3 | $60,834 | #8 (+15) |
| 24 | Ann Arbor, MI | $52,000 | 90.6 | $57,395 | #9 (+15) |
| 25 | Bellingham, WA | $51,626 | 114.6 | $45,049 | #23 (+2) |
| 26 | Monterey, CA | $51,378 | 138.5 | $37,096 | #29 (-3) |
| 27 | Bloomington, IN | $51,262 | 91.0 | $56,332 | #10 (+17) |
| 28 | Pittsburgh, PA | $51,000 | 95.6 | $53,347 | #15 (+13) |
| 29 | Philadelphia, PA | $50,424 | 95.6 | $52,745 | #16 (+13) |
| 30 | Chicago, IL | $48,000 | 92.3 | $52,004 | #17 (+13) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is in Middlebury, VT at $74,651, but after cost-of-living adjustment New York, NE offers the best purchasing power at $78,384 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Bloomington, IN ranks #27 by nominal pay but climbs to #10 once cost of living is factored in (up 17 spots), making its $51,262 go a lot further.
- Beware: Honolulu, HI looks strong at #6 on nominal pay ($64,284) but its high cost of living drops it 24 spots to #30 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.