Salary Comparison
Compare salaries and household income across American cities. See how wages stack up by profession and location to make informed decisions about where to live and work.
| City | Median Income | Avg Salary | Tech Avg | Nursing Avg | Teaching Avg | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | $85,618 | $72,400 | $115,000 | $98,000 | $68,500 | +4.2% |
| Austin, TX | $78,965 | $68,200 | $120,000 | $82,000 | $58,000 | +5.1% |
| Denver, CO | $75,646 | $65,800 | $112,000 | $85,000 | $57,000 | +3.8% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $69,778 | $64,500 | $118,000 | $95,000 | $72,000 | +2.9% |
| New York, NY | $67,046 | $71,200 | $130,000 | $102,000 | $85,000 | +3.1% |
| Nashville, TN | $65,610 | $58,900 | $98,000 | $72,000 | $52,000 | +4.5% |
| Chicago, IL | $65,781 | $62,100 | $108,000 | $82,000 | $62,000 | +2.7% |
| San Antonio, TX | $55,141 | $52,800 | $92,000 | $74,000 | $54,000 | +3.4% |
Understanding Salary Data
Salary figures vary significantly based on location, industry, experience level, and education. The median household income represents the midpoint of all household earnings in a metropolitan area, meaning half of households earn more and half earn less. This figure includes all sources of household income, not just wages and salaries.
Average individual salary, on the other hand, focuses on what a single worker earns on average. This number can be skewed by very high earners, which is why median income is often considered a more accurate representation of typical earnings in a city. When evaluating salary data, always consider the cost of living — a $70,000 salary in San Antonio stretches much further than the same salary in New York City or San Francisco.
Cost of Living Adjusted Wages
Raw salary numbers only tell part of the story. A software engineer earning $130,000 in New York City may have less purchasing power than one earning $110,000 in Austin, Texas, due to differences in housing costs, taxes, and everyday expenses. To get a true picture of your earning potential, divide the offered salary by the city's cost of living index and multiply by 100. This gives you a cost-adjusted salary that allows for fair comparisons across cities.
For example, if the national average cost of living index is 100 and New York has an index of 187, a $130,000 salary in New York has the same purchasing power as roughly $69,500 elsewhere. Meanwhile, a $92,000 salary in San Antonio (index 83) has the purchasing power of about $110,800 — making it significantly more valuable in real terms.
Highest-Paying Industries by Region
Technology remains one of the highest-paying sectors across most major cities, with software engineers, data scientists, and product managers commanding salaries well above the city average. However, tech salaries vary widely by market — San Francisco and New York offer the highest raw compensation, while cities like Austin, Denver, and Nashville are rapidly closing the gap, often with significantly lower costs of living.
Healthcare is another consistently high-paying industry. Registered nurses earn well above the median in every market, with particularly strong wages in California due to nurse-to- patient ratio mandates. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and specialized roles earn even more. Teaching salaries vary dramatically by state — New York teachers earn among the highest salaries nationally, while teachers in Texas and Tennessee often earn significantly less, though lower costs of living help offset the difference.
Factors That Affect Your Salary
Beyond location, several factors significantly impact earning potential. Education level is one of the strongest predictors — workers with a bachelor's degree earn roughly 65 percent more than those with only a high school diploma over their lifetime, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Professional certifications, specialized skills in high- demand areas like cloud computing or cybersecurity, and years of experience all contribute to higher wages.
Industry matters enormously as well. Two workers with identical skills and experience may earn vastly different salaries depending on whether they work in tech, healthcare, finance, education, or government. Company size, remote work policies, and benefits packages also factor into total compensation. When comparing job offers across cities, consider the full package: base salary, bonuses, equity or stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off.
Salary and income data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023.