Question 1

What is the cost of living in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Accepted Answer

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 110.42, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 10.4% more than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $3,483/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, the average median wage is $193,752. The single highest-paying occupation here is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric at $700,850/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA are: 1) Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric at $700,850; 2) Psychiatrists at $353,500; 3) Family Medicine Physicians at $351,760; 4) General Internal Medicine Physicians at $347,870; 5) Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $343,140. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $3,483/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
71	Business Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$160K	N/A
72	Commercial Pilots	Transportation	$159K	N/A
73	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	Science	$159K	$76.59/hr
74	Fire Inspectors and Investigators	Public Safety	$159K	$76.55/hr
75	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	Public Safety	$159K	$76.27/hr
76	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	Repair & Maintenance	$158K	$75.78/hr
77	Computer Systems Analysts	Technology	$157K	$75.55/hr
78	Special Effects Artists and Animators	Arts & Media	$157K	$75.46/hr
79	Materials Engineers	Engineering	$157K	$75.35/hr
80	Computer Programmers	Technology	$155K	$74.48/hr

Top Paying Jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Highest paying careers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

Affordability snapshot: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara