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 | New York, NE | $136,000 | 90.8 | $149,780 | #1 |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | $135,000 | 138.5 | $97,473 | #13 (-11) |
| 3 | Menlo Park, CA | $135,000 | 138.5 | $97,473 | #14 (-11) |
| 4 | San Ramon, CA | $130,520 | 138.5 | $94,238 | #15 (-11) |
| 5 | Palo Alto, CA | $129,948 | 138.5 | $93,825 | #16 (-11) |
| 6 | Foster City, CA | $127,500 | 138.5 | $92,058 | #18 (-12) |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $127,300 | 138.5 | $91,913 | #19 (-12) |
| 8 | Sunnyvale, CA | $125,278 | 138.5 | $90,453 | #20 (-12) |
| 9 | Santa Clara, CA | $125,000 | 138.5 | $90,253 | #21 (-12) |
| 10 | Cambridge, MA | $124,650 | 146.5 | $85,085 | #29 (-19) |
| 11 | Campbell, CA | $122,500 | 138.5 | $88,448 | #22 (-11) |
| 12 | Cupertino, CA | $122,000 | 138.5 | $88,087 | #23 (-11) |
| 13 | San Jose, CA | $120,562 | 138.5 | $87,048 | #24 (-11) |
| 14 | Redwood Shores, CA | $120,001 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #25 (-11) |
| 15 | San Mateo, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #26 (-11) |
| 16 | Redwood City, CA | $120,000 | 138.5 | $86,643 | #27 (-11) |
| 17 | Seattle, WA | $119,018 | 114.6 | $103,855 | #5 (+12) |
| 18 | SANTA MONICA, CA | $119,000 | 138.5 | $85,921 | #28 (-10) |
| 19 | Bellevue, WA | $117,520 | 114.6 | $102,548 | #6 (+13) |
| 20 | Edison, NE | $116,958 | 90.8 | $128,808 | #2 (+18) |
| 21 | New York, NY | $116,145 | 125.1 | $92,841 | #17 (+4) |
| 22 | Redmond, WA | $115,920 | 114.6 | $101,152 | #7 (+15) |
| 23 | South Plainfield, NJ | $115,000 | 113.7 | $101,143 | #8 (+15) |
| 24 | Coral Gables, FL | $114,450 | 102.8 | $111,333 | #3 (+21) |
| 25 | SANTA ROSA, CA | $114,130 | 138.5 | $82,404 | #30 (-5) |
| 26 | Bridgewater, NJ | $113,838 | 113.7 | $100,121 | #9 (+17) |
| 27 | Warren, NJ | $113,475 | 113.7 | $99,802 | #10 (+17) |
| 28 | BASKING RIDGE, NJ | $112,273 | 113.7 | $98,745 | #11 (+17) |
| 29 | East Brunswick, NJ | $112,029 | 113.7 | $98,530 | #12 (+17) |
| 30 | Reston, VA | $111,889 | 100.7 | $111,111 | #4 (+26) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Sales Engineers is in New York, NE at $136,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment New York, NE offers the best purchasing power at $149,780 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Reston, VA ranks #30 by nominal pay but climbs to #4 once cost of living is factored in (up 26 spots), making its $111,889 go a lot further.
- Beware: Cambridge, MA looks strong at #10 on nominal pay ($124,650) but its high cost of living drops it 19 spots to #29 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Sales Engineers wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.