Salary Comparison Calculator: How to Compare Pay Across Cities & Roles

Why Raw Salary Numbers Are Meaningless Without Context

Comparing two salaries without adjusting for cost of living is like comparing prices in two different currencies without knowing the exchange rate. A software engineer earning $130,000 in Austin, Texas takes home far more in real spending power than a peer earning $160,000 in San Francisco — despite a $30,000 nominal gap in the wrong direction.

According to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024 report, the median annual wage for all occupations nationally was $48,060. But that figure masks enormous geographic variation: the same role can pay 40–70% more in a high-cost metro while delivering equivalent or lower purchasing power than its lower-paying counterpart in a mid-cost city.

The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Composite Cost of Living Index is the standard reference. Cities are indexed against a national average of 100. New York City scores 187, Austin scores 120, and San Francisco tops 270. These numbers anchor every serious salary comparison.

The Cost-of-Living Adjustment Formula

The math is straightforward. To find what your current salary is worth in a target city:

Adjusted Salary = (Target City COL ÷ Current City COL) × Current Salary

Worked Example: NYC to Austin

You earn $100,000 in New York City (COL index: 187). You're considering a move to Austin (COL index: 120).

Adjusted Salary = (120 ÷ 187) × $100,000 = $64,171

A job paying $64,000 in Austin gives you the same lifestyle your $100,000 affords in New York. Anything above $64K in Austin is a genuine raise in real terms.

City COL Index Comparison Table

These are approximate figures derived from C2ER composite index data. Housing is the dominant variable — it accounts for roughly 28–32% of the index weighting in most metro areas.

Key Statistics on Salary Variation in 2026

• The BLS OEWS 2024 reports median wages for software developers at $130,160 nationally, ranging from $107,000 in lower-cost metros to $175,000+ in San Francisco.
• Glassdoor's 2024 Pay Transparency Report found that 60% of workers who negotiated a job offer received a higher salary — yet only 37% attempted to negotiate.
• According to the ERI Salary Survey Database 2024, total compensation in high-COL metros runs 42% above the national median in nominal terms but only 8% above in purchasing power terms.
• The BLS 2024 American Community Survey pegs U.S. median household income at $80,610 — a 4.3% nominal increase over 2022, but largely flat in inflation-adjusted terms.
• LinkedIn Salary data (2025) shows that remote-eligible roles command a 9–14% salary premium over equivalent in-office positions at the same company level.

5 Factors Beyond Base Salary That Matter

Base salary is the starting point, not the finish line. When comparing two offers, the items below can swing total compensation by $30,000 or more per year.

1. Health Insurance

Employer-sponsored health insurance is worth $15,000–$25,000/yearfor family coverage, per KFF's 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey. A job offering a rich PPO plan versus one with a high-deductible plan represents a real compensation difference of $5,000–$10,000 annually.

2. Retirement Matching

A 4% 401(k) match on a $100,000 salary is $4,000/year of free money. Over a 30-year career compounding at 7%, that annual match grows to roughly $378,000. Ignoring it is leaving a meaningful chunk of your career earnings on the table.

3. PTO and Paid Leave

At a $100,000 salary, each additional week of PTO is worth approximately $1,923. The difference between 10 days and 20 days of PTO is two weeks' pay — $3,846 in annual value. Parental leave policies, sick days, and company holidays compound this further.

4. Remote Work Savings

A 2023 Global Workplace Analytics study found remote workers save $5,000–$12,000 per year. High-COL commuters can save significantly more. A remote job paying $5,000 less than an in-office role may still net $3,000–$7,000 more in your pocket after accounting for commute, work clothing, and daily food costs.

5. Equity and Bonuses

At tech companies, equity grants and annual bonuses can easily exceed base salary. A $130,000 base at a pre-IPO startup with a $40,000/year RSU grant at target value represents $170,000 in total annual compensation — before any bonus. Levels.fyi tracks real total compensation data across companies and levels, making it the best resource for equity-heavy offers.

Salary Benchmarking Resources

Use at least two sources for any benchmarking exercise. BLS OEWS gives the most defensible floor; Glassdoor and LinkedIn capture employer-specific ranges; Levels.fyi is indispensable for total comp at tech companies.

4 Ways to Research Your Market Value

1. Pull BLS OEWS Data for Your Occupation Code

Go to bls.gov/oes and search by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. Filter by your metro area. This gives you the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for your exact role — government data, no account required.

2. Search Glassdoor and LinkedIn With Tight Filters

Use title, location, company size, and years of experience filters together. A search for “Senior Product Manager” nationwide returns noise. “Senior Product Manager, B2B SaaS, 200–1000 employees, Seattle” returns usable data.

3. Talk to Recruiters (Even When Not Looking)

Recruiters who specialize in your field have real-time market data. A 20-minute call with a recruiter who places people at your level will tell you more about current ranges than any database. They're incentivized to give you accurate numbers.

4. Use Offer Negotiation as a Data Collection Moment

Every time you interview, you learn what companies are willing to pay for your profile. Even if you don't accept an offer, an exploded offer letter tells you your market floor. Keep records. Your data gets sharper with each cycle.

What Salary Comparison Calculators Can't Tell You

Even the best calculator only handles the quantifiable. A few things remain outside the math:

• Career trajectory: A lower-paying role at a high-growth company or with a prestigious manager may deliver 3× the lifetime earnings of a higher-paying lateral move.
• Personal preferences: Some people value San Francisco's culture and climate enough to accept the COL penalty. COL math doesn't capture that.
• State income tax: Texas and Florida have no state income tax. California tops out at 13.3%. On a $150,000 salary, that's a $19,950 annual swing that COL indices underweight.
• Job stability: A $120,000 job with strong employment protections and recession resistance may be worth more than a $140,000 role in a volatile sector.

Run the numbers first with our Salary Comparison Calculator, then layer in the qualitative factors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you compare salaries between two cities?

Divide the target city's cost-of-living index by your current city's index, then multiply by your current salary. A $100,000 salary in New York City (COL index 187) is equivalent to roughly $64,171 in Austin (COL index 120). Use a salary comparison calculator to apply this adjustment instantly.

What is a cost-of-living index?

A cost-of-living index benchmarks the relative price of goods, services, and housing in a city against a baseline of 100. Cities above 100 are more expensive than the national average; cities below 100 are cheaper. The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) publishes quarterly COL indices used by most salary calculators.

Is a $150,000 salary good in San Francisco?

San Francisco has a cost-of-living index around 270, meaning $150,000 there buys roughly the same lifestyle as $92,000 in a city at the national average (index 163). BLS data shows the median household income in San Francisco is about $136,000 — so $150K is above local median but closer to average for tech roles there.

What benefits should I include when comparing job offers?

Add employer-paid health insurance ($15,000–$25,000/year), 401(k) match (typically 3–6% of salary), PTO value (divide daily rate by 365 times days off), remote work savings ($5,000–$12,000/year in commute and wardrobe costs), and equity. Total compensation regularly runs 30–50% above base salary.

Where can I find salary data to benchmark my pay?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program publishes free salary data by occupation and metro area. Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and Payscale provide employer-specific data. For tech roles, Levels.fyi tracks total compensation including equity and bonus at major companies, updated in real time.

How much does remote work save compared to in-office work?

According to a 2023 Global Workplace Analytics study, remote workers save an average of $5,000–$12,000 per year when accounting for commute costs, work clothing, and daily meals. For employees commuting 30+ miles daily in a high-COL city, total savings can exceed $15,000 annually — worth factoring into any offer comparison.