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 | Redmond, WA | $128,000 | 114.6 | $111,693 | #1 |
| 2 | Menlo Park, CA | $124,233 | 138.5 | $89,699 | #5 (-3) |
| 3 | Cupertino, CA | $121,888 | 138.5 | $88,005 | #6 (-3) |
| 4 | Mountain View, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #8 (-4) |
| 5 | Palo Alto, CA | $115,000 | 138.5 | $83,032 | #10 (-5) |
| 6 | Sunnyvale, CA | $106,746 | 138.5 | $77,073 | #14 (-8) |
| 7 | San Jose, CA | $101,200 | 138.5 | $73,068 | #17 (-10) |
| 8 | El Segundo, CA | $99,382 | 138.5 | $71,756 | #19 (-11) |
| 9 | Milpitas, CA | $96,017 | 138.5 | $69,326 | #20 (-11) |
| 10 | Round Rock, TX | $94,750 | 92.7 | $102,211 | #2 (+8) |
| 11 | San Bruno, CA | $93,628 | 138.5 | $67,601 | #22 (-11) |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $92,868 | 92.7 | $100,181 | #3 (+9) |
| 13 | San Mateo, CA | $90,000 | 138.5 | $64,982 | #23 (-10) |
| 14 | San Francisco, CA | $86,258 | 138.5 | $62,280 | #25 (-11) |
| 15 | Santa Clara, CA | $85,350 | 138.5 | $61,625 | #26 (-11) |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $85,000 | 114.6 | $74,171 | #15 (+1) |
| 17 | Beaverton, OR | $83,303 | 113.1 | $73,654 | #16 (+1) |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $82,139 | 94.6 | $86,828 | #7 (+11) |
| 19 | Clark, NE | $82,000 | 90.8 | $90,308 | #4 (+15) |
| 20 | San Diego, CA | $80,300 | 138.5 | $57,978 | #27 (-7) |
| 21 | Fremont, CA | $80,000 | 138.5 | $57,762 | #28 (-7) |
| 22 | Boise, ID | $79,563 | 103.1 | $77,171 | #13 (+9) |
| 23 | Bellevue, WA | $79,300 | 114.6 | $69,197 | #21 (+2) |
| 24 | South San Francisco, CA | $77,066 | 138.5 | $55,643 | #29 (-5) |
| 25 | New York, NE | $76,500 | 90.8 | $84,251 | #9 (+16) |
| 26 | Denver, CO | $76,418 | 105.5 | $72,434 | #18 (+8) |
| 27 | Richardson, TX | $75,000 | 92.7 | $80,906 | #11 (+16) |
| 28 | Hoboken, NJ | $73,500 | 113.7 | $64,644 | #24 (+4) |
| 29 | Sugar Land, TX | $72,306 | 92.7 | $78,000 | #12 (+17) |
| 30 | Gardena, CA | $72,257 | 138.5 | $52,171 | #30 |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Logisticians is in Redmond, WA at $128,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment Redmond, WA offers the best purchasing power at $111,693 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Sugar Land, TX ranks #29 by nominal pay but climbs to #12 once cost of living is factored in (up 17 spots), making its $72,306 go a lot further.
- Beware: El Segundo, CA looks strong at #8 on nominal pay ($99,382) but its high cost of living drops it 11 spots to #19 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Logisticians wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.