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 | $140,000 | 138.5 | $101,083 | #7 (-6) |
| 2 | Sunnyvale, CA | $139,900 | 138.5 | $101,011 | #8 (-6) |
| 3 | New York, NY | $135,000 | 125.1 | $107,914 | #5 (-2) |
| 4 | Bellevue, WA | $130,225 | 114.6 | $113,634 | #3 (+1) |
| 5 | Redmond, WA | $129,500 | 114.6 | $113,002 | #4 (+1) |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $125,000 | 138.5 | $90,253 | #9 (-3) |
| 7 | Santa Clara, CA | $125,000 | 138.5 | $90,253 | #10 (-3) |
| 8 | Charlotte, NC | $125,000 | 95.7 | $130,617 | #1 (+7) |
| 9 | Palo Alto, CA | $111,093 | 138.5 | $80,211 | #14 (-5) |
| 10 | Cambridge, MA | $106,000 | 146.5 | $72,355 | #16 (-6) |
| 11 | New York, NE | $105,000 | 90.8 | $115,639 | #2 (+9) |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $95,000 | 92.3 | $102,925 | #6 (+6) |
| 13 | Tampa, FL | $85,000 | 102.8 | $82,685 | #13 |
| 14 | Los Alamos, NM | $80,300 | 94.0 | $85,426 | #11 (+3) |
| 15 | Boston, MA | $78,022 | 146.5 | $53,257 | #17 (-2) |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $76,875 | 92.7 | $82,929 | #12 (+4) |
| 17 | Houston, TX | $72,000 | 92.7 | $77,670 | #15 (+2) |
| 18 | BERKELEY, CA | $72,000 | 138.5 | $51,986 | #19 (-1) |
| 19 | Princeton, NJ | $60,000 | 113.7 | $52,770 | #18 (+1) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Mathematicians is in Menlo Park, CA at $140,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment Charlotte, NC offers the best purchasing power at $130,617 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: New York, NE ranks #11 by nominal pay but climbs to #2 once cost of living is factored in (up 9 spots), making its $105,000 go a lot further.
- Beware: Menlo Park, CA looks strong at #1 on nominal pay ($140,000) but its high cost of living drops it 6 spots to #7 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Mathematicians wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.