March 11, 2007 posting titled Top 10 Best / Worst Cities For Software Developer Pay.
A bit about the numbers... The cost of living index is based on 100 being the average score. A score of 110 means the cost of living is 10% greater than average while a socre of 90 means a cost of living less than average. I took the average software developer salary and adjusted them based on the cost of living to determine the adjusted salary that indicates the true buying power of the average developer in each city. All salary data comes from the
Department of Labor for 2005.
As an example, it costs 65.7% more to live in Oakland than Phoenix. This means that a developer earning $50,000 in Phoenix would have the same buying power as a developer earning $82,870 in Oakland. This difference in cost of living becomes a wash if developers in Oakland do in fact earn 65.7% more than those in Phoenix.
Raw Salary
Top 10
| 1 | San Jose | $ 99,250 |
| 2 | San Francisco | $ 92,570 |
| 3 | Oakland | $ 92,570 |
| 4 | Houston | $ 89,530 |
| 5 | New York | $ 89,370 |
| 6 | Boston | $ 87,540 |
| 7 | Balitimore | $ 86,110 |
| 8 | San Diego | $ 85,280 |
| 9 | Austin | $ 84,460 |
| 10 | Fresno | $ 83,840 |
Bottom 10
| 1 | Virginia Beach | $ 55,420 |
| 2 | Nashville | $ 59,880 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City | $ 60,550 |
| 4 | San Antonio | $ 61,470 |
| 5 | Louisville | $ 61,610 |
| 6 | Memphis | $ 62,570 |
| 7 | Albuquerque | $ 63,310 |
| 8 | Tulsa | $ 64,070 |
| 9 | Indianapolis | $ 65,770 |
| 10 | Omaha | $ 65,950 |
But what happens if we adjust the numbers to reflect the cost of living?
Adjusted Salary
Top 10
| 1 | Houston | $102,908 |
| 2 | Austin | $ 93,844 |
| 3 | Fort Worth | $ 91,614 |
| 4 | Arlington | $ 91,614 |
| 5 | El Paso | $ 85,741 |
| 6 | Charlotte | $ 85,477 |
| 7 | Dallas | $ 84,489 |
| 8 | Jacksonville | $ 81,928 |
| 9 | Colorado Springs | $ 81,850 |
| 10 | Atlanta | $ 80,565 |
Bottom 10
| 1 | Honolulu | $ 38,766 |
| 2 | San Francisco | $ 44,937 |
| 3 | San Diego | $ 48,181 |
| 4 | New York | $ 50,492 |
| 5 | Oakland | $ 51,428 |
| 6 | Miami | $ 51,629 |
| 7 | San Jose | $ 51,693 |
| 8 | Los Angeles | $ 53,948 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $ 53,948 |
| 10 | Virginia Beach | $ 55,980 |
Largest cities
| Metro | Salary | Cost of Living | Adjusted Salary |
| New York | $89,370 | 177 | $ 50,492 |
| Los Angeles | $82,540 | 153 | $ 53,948 |
| Chicago | $75,250 | 115 | $ 65,435 |
| Houston | $89,530 | 87 | $102,908 |
| Philadelphia | $77,900 | 108 | $ 72,130 |
| Phoenix | $70,250 | 108 | $ 65,046 |
| San Antonio | $61,470 | 82 | $ 74,963 |
| San Diego | $85,280 | 177 | $ 48,181 |
| Dallas | $76,040 | 90 | $ 84,489 |
| San Jose | $99,250 | 192 | $ 51,693 |
| Detroit | $75,250 | 95 | $ 79,211 |
| Indianapolis | $65,770 | 83 | $ 79,241 |
| Jacksonville | $79,470 | 97 | $ 81,928 |
| San Francisco | $92,570 | 206 | $ 44,937 |
| Columbus | $72,170 | 93 | $ 77,602 |
| Austin | $84,460 | 90 | $ 93,844 |
| Memphis | $62,570 | 85 | $ 73,612 |
| Baltimore | $86,110 | 110 | $ 78,282 |
| Fort Worth | $76,040 | 83 | $ 91,614 |
| Charlotte | $75,220 | 88 | $ 85,477 |
| El Paso | $69,450 | 81 | $ 85,741 |
| Milwaukee | $69,250 | 103 | $ 67,233 |
| Seattle | $83,090 | 120 | $ 69,242 |
| Boston | $87,540 | 145 | $ 60,372 |
| Denver | $82,020 | 110 | $ 74,564 |
| Louisville | $61,610 | 87 | $ 70,816 |
| Washington, DC | $82,100 | 142 | $ 57,817 |
| Nashville | $59,880 | 88 | $ 68,045 |
| Las Vegas | $69,230 | 118 | $ 58,669 |
| Portland | $83,130 | 107 | $ 77,692 |
| Oklahoma City | $60,550 | 82 | $ 73,841 |
| Tucson | $77,390 | 105 | $ 73,705 |
| Albuquerque | $63,310 | 95 | $ 66,642 |
| Long Beach | $82,540 | 153 | $ 53,948 |
| Atlanta | $74,120 | 92 | $ 80,565 |
| Fresno | $83,840 | 121 | $ 69,289 |
| Sacramento | $78,400 | 139 | $ 56,403 |
| New Orleans | $66,460 | 93 | $ 71,462 |
| Cleveland | $69,360 | 93 | $ 74,581 |
| Kansas City | $72,800 | 91 | $ 80,000 |
| Mesa | $70,250 | 108 | $ 65,046 |
| Virginia Beach | $55,420 | 99 | $ 55,980 |
| Omaha | $65,950 | 88 | $ 74,943 |
| Oakland | $92,570 | 180 | $ 51,428 |
| Miami | $68,150 | 132 | $ 51,629 |
| Tulsa | $64,070 | 82 | $ 78,134 |
| Honolulu | $67,840 | 175 | $ 38,766 |
| Minneapolis | $76,040 | 114 | $ 66,702 |
| Colorado Springs | $81,850 | 100 | $ 81,850 |
| Arlington | $76,040 | 83 | $ 91,614 |
