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 | Milpitas, CA | $126,153 | 138.5 | $91,085 | #4 (-3) |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | $119,225 | 138.5 | $86,083 | #6 (-4) |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $110,000 | 138.5 | $79,422 | #9 (-6) |
| 4 | Upton, NE | $109,990 | 90.8 | $121,135 | #1 (+3) |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | $105,000 | 138.5 | $75,812 | #10 (-5) |
| 6 | Livermore, CA | $102,600 | 138.5 | $74,079 | #15 (-9) |
| 7 | Menlo Park, CA | $95,800 | 138.5 | $69,170 | #17 (-10) |
| 8 | Fremont, CA | $95,676 | 138.5 | $69,080 | #18 (-10) |
| 9 | Upton, NY | $92,800 | 125.1 | $74,181 | #14 (-5) |
| 10 | New York, NE | $86,000 | 90.8 | $94,714 | #2 (+8) |
| 11 | Palo Alto, CA | $85,500 | 138.5 | $61,733 | #23 (-12) |
| 12 | New York, NY | $85,000 | 125.1 | $67,946 | #19 (-7) |
| 13 | Los Alamos, NE | $83,800 | 90.8 | $92,291 | #3 (+10) |
| 14 | Los Alamos, NM | $81,700 | 94.0 | $86,915 | #5 (+9) |
| 15 | PASADENA, CA | $77,572 | 138.5 | $56,008 | #25 (-10) |
| 16 | Lemont, IL | $77,154 | 92.3 | $83,590 | #7 (+9) |
| 17 | Newport News, VA | $76,173 | 100.7 | $75,643 | #11 (+6) |
| 18 | Richland, WA | $75,500 | 114.6 | $65,881 | #20 (-2) |
| 19 | Los Angeles, CA | $74,400 | 138.5 | $53,718 | #26 (-7) |
| 20 | EAST LANSING, MI | $73,451 | 90.6 | $81,072 | #8 (+12) |
| 21 | BERKELEY, CA | $72,600 | 138.5 | $52,419 | #27 (-6) |
| 22 | Irvine, CA | $70,800 | 138.5 | $51,119 | #28 (-6) |
| 23 | Houston, TX | $70,000 | 92.7 | $75,512 | #12 (+11) |
| 24 | Stanford, CA | $70,000 | 138.5 | $50,542 | #29 (-5) |
| 25 | Princeton, NJ | $69,796 | 113.7 | $61,386 | #24 (+1) |
| 26 | Cambridge, MA | $68,000 | 146.5 | $46,416 | #30 (-4) |
| 27 | Boulder, CO | $67,857 | 105.5 | $64,320 | #21 (+6) |
| 28 | Oak Ridge, TN | $67,140 | 90.3 | $74,352 | #13 (+15) |
| 29 | Batavia, IL | $65,000 | 92.3 | $70,423 | #16 (+13) |
| 30 | Tallahassee, FL | $65,000 | 102.8 | $63,230 | #22 (+8) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Physicists is in Milpitas, CA at $126,153, but after cost-of-living adjustment Upton, NE offers the best purchasing power at $121,135 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Oak Ridge, TN ranks #28 by nominal pay but climbs to #13 once cost of living is factored in (up 15 spots), making its $67,140 go a lot further.
- Beware: Palo Alto, CA looks strong at #11 on nominal pay ($85,500) but its high cost of living drops it 12 spots to #23 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Physicists wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.