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 | Menlo Park, CA | $125,000 | 138.5 | $90,253 | #6 (-5) |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $124,100 | 114.6 | $108,290 | #2 |
| 3 | Thousand Oaks, CA | $114,500 | 138.5 | $82,672 | #12 (-9) |
| 4 | Mountain View, CA | $112,000 | 138.5 | $80,866 | #14 (-10) |
| 5 | Corning, NY | $107,000 | 125.1 | $85,532 | #10 (-5) |
| 6 | Redwood Shores, CA | $106,288 | 138.5 | $76,742 | #15 (-9) |
| 7 | Playa Vista, CA | $106,000 | 138.5 | $76,534 | #16 (-9) |
| 8 | Cupertino, CA | $104,666 | 138.5 | $75,571 | #17 (-9) |
| 9 | Bellevue, WA | $103,251 | 114.6 | $90,097 | #8 (+1) |
| 10 | Foster City, CA | $103,188 | 138.5 | $74,504 | #18 (-8) |
| 11 | Round Rock, TX | $102,690 | 92.7 | $110,777 | #1 (+10) |
| 12 | San Bruno, CA | $102,440 | 138.5 | $73,964 | #19 (-7) |
| 13 | South San Francisco, CA | $98,100 | 138.5 | $70,830 | #22 (-9) |
| 14 | Palo Alto, CA | $96,074 | 138.5 | $69,368 | #23 (-9) |
| 15 | Redwood City, CA | $95,000 | 138.5 | $68,592 | #24 (-9) |
| 16 | BASKING RIDGE, NJ | $92,000 | 113.7 | $80,915 | #13 (+3) |
| 17 | Sunnyvale, CA | $89,690 | 138.5 | $64,758 | #25 (-8) |
| 18 | Boulder, CO | $88,000 | 105.5 | $83,412 | #11 (+7) |
| 19 | San Jose, CA | $86,298 | 138.5 | $62,309 | #26 (-7) |
| 20 | Detroit, MI | $86,201 | 90.6 | $95,145 | #4 (+16) |
| 21 | Bentonville, AR | $85,442 | 89.0 | $96,002 | #3 (+18) |
| 22 | Jersey City, NE | $85,183 | 90.8 | $93,814 | #5 (+17) |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | $85,000 | 138.5 | $61,372 | #27 (-4) |
| 24 | Santa Clara, CA | $84,573 | 138.5 | $61,064 | #28 (-4) |
| 25 | Seattle, WA | $84,240 | 114.6 | $73,508 | #21 (+4) |
| 26 | Natick, MA | $84,073 | 146.5 | $57,388 | #30 (-4) |
| 27 | Evanston, IL | $83,000 | 92.3 | $89,924 | #9 (+18) |
| 28 | Darien, CT | $83,000 | 112.8 | $73,582 | #20 (+8) |
| 29 | Northridge, CA | $83,000 | 138.5 | $59,928 | #29 |
| 30 | Princeton, NE | $81,831 | 90.8 | $90,122 | #7 (+23) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists is in Menlo Park, CA at $125,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment Round Rock, TX offers the best purchasing power at $110,777 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Princeton, NE ranks #30 by nominal pay but climbs to #7 once cost of living is factored in (up 23 spots), making its $81,831 go a lot further.
- Beware: Mountain View, CA looks strong at #4 on nominal pay ($112,000) but its high cost of living drops it 10 spots to #14 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.