Best cities for your career
Pick a career to see the U.S. metros where the same paycheck stretches furthest. Rankings use BLS salaries adjusted by BEA Regional Price Parities, so a $90K offer in San Francisco is compared honestly to a $70K offer in Dallas.
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesNational median: $36K
- Retail SalespersonsNational median: $35K
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersNational median: $31K
- General and Operations ManagersNational median: $106K
- Registered NursesNational median: $98K
- CashiersNational median: $33K
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNational median: $40K
- Stockers and Order FillersNational median: $37K
- Customer Service RepresentativesNational median: $45K
- Office Clerks, GeneralNational median: $45K
- Waiters and WaitressesNational median: $35K
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersNational median: $37K
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversNational median: $59K
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and ExecutiveNational median: $48K
- Software DevelopersNational median: $136K
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralNational median: $50K
- Accountants and AuditorsNational median: $84K
- Nursing AssistantsNational median: $42K
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersNational median: $70K
- Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondaryNational median: $37K
- Cooks, RestaurantNational median: $37K
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsNational median: $45K
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationNational median: $64K
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksNational median: $51K
- Security GuardsNational median: $38K
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and TravelNational median: $70K
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific ProductsNational median: $72K
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersNational median: $44K
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales WorkersNational median: $49K
- Construction LaborersNational median: $47K
- Business Operations Specialists, All OtherNational median: $83K
- Project Management SpecialistsNational median: $102K
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationNational median: $72K
- Light Truck DriversNational median: $45K
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsNational median: $46K
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping WorkersNational median: $39K
- Human Resources SpecialistsNational median: $76K
- Receptionists and Information ClerksNational median: $38K
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsNational median: $79K
- Management AnalystsNational median: $102K
- Food Preparation WorkersNational median: $35K
- Maids and Housekeeping CleanersNational median: $36K
- Financial ManagersNational median: $167K
- Medical AssistantsNational median: $46K
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory ClerksNational median: $45K
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction WorkersNational median: $80K
- Industrial Truck and Tractor OperatorsNational median: $46K
- ElectriciansNational median: $63K
- BartendersNational median: $34K
- LawyersNational median: $160K
- Computer User Support SpecialistsNational median: $62K
- Automotive Service Technicians and MechanicsNational median: $51K
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating WorkersNational median: $74K
- Computer and Information Systems ManagersNational median: $175K
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol OfficersNational median: $76K
- CarpentersNational median: $61K
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesNational median: $64K
- Cooks, Fast FoodNational median: $31K
- Sales ManagersNational median: $148K
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling SupervisorsNational median: $63K
- Managers, All OtherNational median: $142K
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationNational median: $64K
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersNational median: $80K
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersNational median: $49K
- Medical and Health Services ManagersNational median: $124K
- Packers and Packagers, HandNational median: $36K
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender HelpersNational median: $34K
- Substitute Teachers, Short-TermNational median: $42K
- Computer Systems AnalystsNational median: $106K
- Childcare WorkersNational median: $35K
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health CounselorsNational median: $59K
- Buyers and Purchasing AgentsNational median: $78K
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales AgentsNational median: $79K
- Insurance Sales AgentsNational median: $62K
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationNational median: $38K
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsNational median: $60K
- DishwashersNational median: $35K
- Pharmacy TechniciansNational median: $46K
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersNational median: $64K
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative AssistantsNational median: $77K
- Training and Development SpecialistsNational median: $69K
- Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaNational median: $37K
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median: $65K
- Social and Human Service AssistantsNational median: $46K
- Computer Occupations, All OtherNational median: $117K
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee ShopNational median: $31K
- Compliance OfficersNational median: $81K
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersNational median: $54K
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersNational median: $61K
- Driver/Sales WorkersNational median: $39K
- Billing and Posting ClerksNational median: $49K
- Bus Drivers, SchoolNational median: $48K
- Counter and Rental ClerksNational median: $41K
- Amusement and Recreation AttendantsNational median: $32K
- Marketing ManagersNational median: $167K
- Paralegals and Legal AssistantsNational median: $63K
- Child, Family, and School Social WorkersNational median: $60K
- Production, Planning, and Expediting ClerksNational median: $60K
- Dental AssistantsNational median: $48K
- Correctional Officers and JailersNational median: $59K
Frequently asked questions
- How are these rankings calculated?
- We take the BLS median salary for each occupation in each metro, then divide by the BEA Regional Price Parity (overall) for that metro. The result is a cost-of-living-adjusted salary that reflects what the same paycheck actually buys locally.
- Why is COL-adjusted salary different from raw salary?
- A $90,000 software developer salary in San Francisco buys less than $70,000 in Dallas because rent, groceries, and services cost more in SF. Adjusting for the price level reveals which metros offer the most real purchasing power for a given career.
- How current is the data?
- Salary figures come from the most recent BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. Cost-of-living adjustments use the latest BEA Regional Price Parities. Both are federal annual datasets.
- What occupations are covered?
- The top 200 occupations by national employment, which covers roughly 95 percent of U.S. wage and salary workers. If a specific career is missing, the BLS likely groups it under a broader category.