NextChapter

Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Mid-Atlantic

Chantilly leads the Mid-Atlantic for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Chantilly, VA: $192k
  • #2 Princeton, NJ: $164k
  • #3 Mc Lean, VA: $161k
  • 32 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: $132k across the typical city in our data.

  1. 1Chantilly VA$192k
  2. 2Princeton NJ$164k
  3. 3Mc Lean VA$161k
  4. 4Herndon VA$159k
  5. 5Reston VA$158k
  6. 6McLean VA$148k
  7. 7Washington DC$148k
  8. 8New York NY$147k
  9. 9Arlington VA$143k
  10. 10Jersey City NJ$142k

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Chantilly leads on $192k, and #10 Jersey City is at $142k.
  • Chantilly reaches #1 on a sample of 54 openings with pay posted, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 6,894 openings with pay posted behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Chantilly VA

    $192k

    Median posted pay
    $194k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    54

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 54 openings with pay posted.

  2. 2

    Princeton NJ

    $164k

    Median posted pay
    $178k
    State prices vs US average
    +9%
    Openings with pay posted
    91

    Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates

    Based on 91 openings with pay posted.

  3. 3

    Mc Lean VA

    $161k

    Median posted pay
    $163k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    68

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 68 openings with pay posted.

  4. 4

    Herndon VA

    $159k

    Median posted pay
    $161k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    153

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 153 openings with pay posted.

  5. 5

    Reston VA

    $158k

    Median posted pay
    $160k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    165

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 165 openings with pay posted.

  6. 6

    McLean VA

    $148k

    Median posted pay
    $150k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    239

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 239 openings with pay posted.

  7. 7

    Washington DC

    $148k

    Median posted pay
    $161k
    Local prices vs US average
    +9%
    Openings with pay posted
    1,514

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Shield AI, CACI International

    Based on 1,514 openings with pay posted.

  8. 8

    New York NY

    $147k

    Median posted pay
    $165k
    Local prices vs US average
    +13%
    Openings with pay posted
    6,894

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 6,894 openings with pay posted.

  9. 9

    Arlington VA

    $143k

    Median posted pay
    $145k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    475

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 475 openings with pay posted.

  10. 10

    Jersey City NJ

    $142k

    Median posted pay
    $155k
    State prices vs US average
    +9%
    Openings with pay posted
    73

    Hiring most here: DTCC, Verisk Analytics, JPMorgan Chase

    Based on 73 openings with pay posted.

  11. 11

    Rockville MD

    $142k

    Median posted pay
    $149k
    State prices vs US average
    +5%
    Openings with pay posted
    83

    Hiring most here: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, The Emmes Company, BAE Systems

    Based on 83 openings with pay posted.

  12. 12

    Fort Meade MD

    $142k

    Median posted pay
    $149k
    State prices vs US average
    +5%
    Openings with pay posted
    84

    Hiring most here: Peraton, CACI International, Grvty

    Based on 84 openings with pay posted.

  13. 13

    Alexandria VA

    $139k

    Median posted pay
    $140k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    144

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 144 openings with pay posted.

  14. 14

    Manassas VA

    $137k

    Median posted pay
    $139k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    54

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 54 openings with pay posted.

  15. 15

    Bethesda MD

    $136k

    Median posted pay
    $143k
    State prices vs US average
    +5%
    Openings with pay posted
    89

    Hiring most here: Black Canyon Consulting, ZoomInfo, Leidos

    Based on 89 openings with pay posted.

  16. 16

    Fort Belvoir VA

    $133k

    Median posted pay
    $135k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    64

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 64 openings with pay posted.

  17. 17

    Vienna VA

    $131k

    Median posted pay
    $133k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    91

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 91 openings with pay posted.

  18. 18

    Springfield VA

    $130k

    Median posted pay
    $132k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    53

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 53 openings with pay posted.

  19. 19

    Brooklyn NY

    $126k

    Median posted pay
    $142k
    Local prices vs US average
    +13%
    Openings with pay posted
    168

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Altana AI

    Based on 168 openings with pay posted.

  20. 20

    Tysons VA

    $125k

    Median posted pay
    $126k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    62

    Hiring most here: M.C. Dean, Alarm.com Holdings, LMI

    Based on 62 openings with pay posted.

  21. 21

    Philadelphia PA

    $122k

    Median posted pay
    $125k
    Local prices vs US average
    +3%
    Openings with pay posted
    283

    Hiring most here: Confidential, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, GSK

    Based on 283 openings with pay posted.

  22. 22

    White Plains NY

    $121k

    Median posted pay
    $136k
    Local prices vs US average
    +13%
    Openings with pay posted
    52

    Hiring most here: New York Power Authority, FormativGroup, RWE Clean Energy

    Based on 52 openings with pay posted.

  23. 23

    Baltimore MD

    $120k

    Median posted pay
    $125k
    Local prices vs US average
    +4%
    Openings with pay posted
    139

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

    Based on 139 openings with pay posted.

  24. 24

    Annapolis MD

    $119k

    Median posted pay
    $125k
    State prices vs US average
    +5%
    Openings with pay posted
    92

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Luminis Health, TEKsystems

    Based on 92 openings with pay posted.

  25. 25

    Pittsburgh PA

    $119k

    Median posted pay
    $113k
    Local prices vs US average
    −5%
    Openings with pay posted
    148

    Hiring most here: PNC Financial Services Group, Highmark Health, UPMC

    Based on 148 openings with pay posted.

Full ranking

All 32 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Chantilly VA$192k54
2Princeton NJ$164k91
3Mc Lean VA$161k68
4Herndon VA$159k153
5Reston VA$158k165
6McLean VA$148k239
7Washington DC$148k1,514
8New York NY$147k6,894
9Arlington VA$143k475
10Jersey City NJ$142k73
11Rockville MD$142k83
12Fort Meade MD$142k84
13Alexandria VA$139k144
14Manassas VA$137k54
15Bethesda MD$136k89
16Fort Belvoir VA$133k64
17Vienna VA$131k91
18Springfield VA$130k53
19Brooklyn NY$126k168
20Tysons VA$125k62
21Philadelphia PA$122k283
22White Plains NY$121k52
23Baltimore MD$120k139
24Annapolis MD$119k92
25Pittsburgh PA$119k148
26Newark NJ$114k94
27Syracuse NY$110k58
28Norfolk VA$103k71
29Buffalo NY$100k86
30Richmond VA$99k198
31Albany NY$95k79
32Rochester NY$92k60

How this ranking works

The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100.

Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: posted annual salary ranges; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024 (metro areas and states). Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for pay after cost of living in the mid-atlantic?
Chantilly leads the Mid-Atlantic for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.
How many cities are ranked?
32 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 32 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-mid-atlantic

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-mid-atlantic">Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Mid-Atlantic (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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