Best cities for technology pay after cost of living
Question 1
Where are you right now?
Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.
Key facts
- #1 Foster, CA: $209k
- #2 San Mateo, CA: $208k
- #3 San Jose, CA: $205k
- 80 cities ranked in the United States
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $166k across the typical city in our data.
- 1Foster CA$209k
- 2San Mateo CA$208k
- 3San Jose CA$205k
- 4Mountain View CA$198k
- 5Chantilly VA$198k
- 6San Francisco CA$197k
- 7Bellevue WA$196k
- 8Redmond WA$195k
- 9Santa Clara CA$192k
- 10Sunnyvale CA$192k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Foster leads on $209k, and #10 Sunnyvale is at $192k.
- Chantilly reaches #5 on a sample of 33 openings with pay posted, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- San Francisco is the largest market in the top ten, with 4,240 openings with pay posted behind its figure.
- Cities with fewer than 30 openings with pay posted are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Pay in an industry varies by city as much as the cost of living does. Adjusting posted pay for local prices shows where the same industry's salary goes furthest.
How to use it
Use it to compare offers in the same industry across cities. A city with a lower headline salary can leave you ahead once prices are counted.
The top 25
- 1
Foster CA
$209k
- Median posted pay
- $232k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 198
Hiring most here: Gilead Sciences
Based on 198 openings.
- 3
San Jose CA
$205k
- Median posted pay
- $227k
- Local prices vs US average
- +10%
- Openings with pay posted
- 279
Hiring most here: Super Micro Computer, Advanced Micro Devices, Cisco Systems
Based on 279 openings.
- 4
Mountain View CA
$198k
- Median posted pay
- $219k
- Local prices vs US average
- +10%
- Openings with pay posted
- 613
Hiring most here: Intuit, Waymo, Google
Based on 613 openings.
- 5
Chantilly VA
$198k
- Median posted pay
- $200k
- State prices vs US average
- +1%
- Openings with pay posted
- 33
Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton
Based on 33 openings.
- 6
San Francisco CA
$197k
- Median posted pay
- $228k
- Local prices vs US average
- +16%
- Openings with pay posted
- 4,240
Hiring most here: OpenAI, Anthropic, University Of California San Francisco Foundation
Based on 4,240 openings.
- 7
Bellevue WA
$196k
- Median posted pay
- $210k
- State prices vs US average
- +7%
- Openings with pay posted
- 172
Hiring most here: Amazon, TerraPower, Okta
Based on 172 openings.
- 9
Santa Clara CA
$192k
- Median posted pay
- $212k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 468
Hiring most here: Pure Storage, Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon
Based on 468 openings.
- 10
Sunnyvale CA
$192k
- Median posted pay
- $212k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 382
Hiring most here: Applied Intuition, Wayve, Amazon
Based on 382 openings.
- 11
Livingston NJ
$189k
- Median posted pay
- $205k
- State prices vs US average
- +9%
- Openings with pay posted
- 26
Hiring most here: Monolith AI, CoreWeave, CSC
Based on 26 openings.
- 12
Palo Alto CA
$188k
- Median posted pay
- $208k
- Local prices vs US average
- +10%
- Openings with pay posted
- 251
Hiring most here: SpaceX, Rivian Automotive, Stanford Health Care
Based on 251 openings.
- 13
Oakland CA
$187k
- Median posted pay
- $208k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 68
Hiring most here: Pacific Gas & Electric, Blue Shield of California, Fivetran
Based on 68 openings.
- 14
Austin TX
$184k
- Median posted pay
- $181k
- Local prices vs US average
- −2%
- Openings with pay posted
- 567
Hiring most here: Amazon, Advanced Micro Devices, Cloudflare
Based on 567 openings.
- 15
Reston VA
$183k
- Median posted pay
- $185k
- State prices vs US average
- +1%
- Openings with pay posted
- 94
Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries
Based on 94 openings.
- 16
Waltham MA
$182k
- Median posted pay
- $193k
- State prices vs US average
- +6%
- Openings with pay posted
- 113
Hiring most here: Boston Dynamics, Anduril Industries, Xometry
Based on 113 openings.
- 17
Fremont CA
$181k
- Median posted pay
- $200k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 79
Hiring most here: Agility Robotics, Coherent, LAM Research
Based on 79 openings.
- 18
Washington DC
$178k
- Median posted pay
- $194k
- Local prices vs US average
- +9%
- Openings with pay posted
- 501
Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, CACI International, Shield AI
Based on 501 openings.
- 19
Ann Arbor MI
$175k
- Median posted pay
- $169k
- State prices vs US average
- −4%
- Openings with pay posted
- 42
Hiring most here: May Mobility, Torc Robotics, Thomson Reuters
Based on 42 openings.
- 20
Seattle WA
$175k
- Median posted pay
- $195k
- Local prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 572
Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI
Based on 572 openings.
- 21
Wilmington DE
$175k
- Median posted pay
- $175k
- State prices vs US average
- −0%
- Openings with pay posted
- 20
Hiring most here: Astrazeneca, Sargent & Lundy, CSC
Based on 20 openings.
- 23
Menlo Park CA
$173k
- Median posted pay
- $200k
- Local prices vs US average
- +16%
- Openings with pay posted
- 30
Hiring most here: Snowflake, Robinhood Ventures Fund I, Hippocratic AI
Based on 30 openings.
- 24
Huntsville AL
$171k
- Median posted pay
- $151k
- State prices vs US average
- −11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 59
Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin
Based on 59 openings.
- 25
El Segundo CA
$170k
- Median posted pay
- $189k
- State prices vs US average
- +11%
- Openings with pay posted
- 64
Hiring most here: Chaos Industries, Radiant, Varda Space Industries
Based on 64 openings.
Full ranking
All 80 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foster CA | $209k | 198 |
| 2 | San Mateo CA | $208k | 485 |
| 3 | San Jose CA | $205k | 279 |
| 4 | Mountain View CA | $198k | 613 |
| 5 | Chantilly VA | $198k | 33 |
| 6 | San Francisco CA | $197k | 4,240 |
| 7 | Bellevue WA | $196k | 172 |
| 8 | Redmond WA | $195k | 125 |
| 9 | Santa Clara CA | $192k | 468 |
| 10 | Sunnyvale CA | $192k | 382 |
| 11 | Livingston NJ | $189k | 26 |
| 12 | Palo Alto CA | $188k | 251 |
| 13 | Oakland CA | $187k | 68 |
| 14 | Austin TX | $184k | 567 |
| 15 | Reston VA | $183k | 94 |
| 16 | Waltham MA | $182k | 113 |
| 17 | Fremont CA | $181k | 79 |
| 18 | Washington DC | $178k | 501 |
| 19 | Ann Arbor MI | $175k | 42 |
| 20 | Seattle WA | $175k | 572 |
| 21 | Wilmington DE | $175k | 20 |
| 22 | Nashville TN | $174k | 63 |
| 23 | Menlo Park CA | $173k | 30 |
| 24 | Huntsville AL | $171k | 59 |
| 25 | El Segundo CA | $170k | 64 |
| 26 | Pittsburgh PA | $169k | 49 |
| 27 | New York NY | $169k | 153 |
| 28 | New York NY | $168k | 2,691 |
| 29 | Cambridge MA | $168k | 68 |
| 30 | Milpitas CA | $167k | 24 |
| 31 | Arlington VA | $166k | 130 |
| 32 | San Diego CA | $165k | 177 |
| 33 | Torrance CA | $165k | 39 |
| 34 | Boston MA | $165k | 612 |
| 35 | Broomfield CO | $163k | 34 |
| 36 | San Carlos CA | $163k | 21 |
| 37 | Quincy MA | $162k | 60 |
| 38 | Boulder CO | $162k | 46 |
| 39 | Redwood City CA | $162k | 150 |
| 40 | McLean VA | $162k | 89 |
| 41 | Atlanta GA | $161k | 238 |
| 42 | Alpharetta GA | $160k | 37 |
| 43 | Herndon VA | $159k | 90 |
| 44 | Santa Monica CA | $158k | 25 |
| 45 | Columbus OH | $157k | 43 |
| 46 | Portland OR | $157k | 29 |
| 47 | Salt Lake City UT | $155k | 26 |
| 48 | Santa Ana CA | $155k | 80 |
| 49 | Santa Barbara CA | $154k | 29 |
| 50 | Irvine CA | $154k | 232 |
| 51 | Oxnard CA | $154k | 22 |
| 52 | Houston TX | $150k | 33 |
| 53 | Pleasanton CA | $149k | 23 |
| 54 | San Ramon CA | $148k | 22 |
| 55 | Fort Meade MD | $148k | 22 |
| 56 | Los Angeles CA | $147k | 328 |
| 57 | Denver CO | $146k | 312 |
| 58 | Las Vegas NV | $146k | 21 |
| 59 | Dallas TX | $145k | 223 |
| 60 | Phoenix AZ | $145k | 58 |
| 61 | Fort Collins CO | $144k | 25 |
| 62 | Raleigh NC | $143k | 73 |
| 63 | Philadelphia PA | $143k | 72 |
| 64 | Chicago IL | $142k | 458 |
| 65 | Brooklyn NY | $142k | 37 |
| 66 | Frankfort KY | $142k | 22 |
| 67 | Miami FL | $140k | 69 |
| 68 | Minneapolis MN | $139k | 48 |
| 69 | Charlotte NC | $139k | 72 |
| 70 | Sacramento CA | $139k | 47 |
| 71 | Bethesda MD | $137k | 30 |
| 72 | San Antonio TX | $134k | 28 |
| 73 | Louisville KY | $131k | 40 |
| 74 | Somerville MA | $130k | 89 |
| 75 | Vienna VA | $130k | 62 |
| 76 | St. Louis MO | $126k | 36 |
| 77 | Tysons VA | $125k | 55 |
| 78 | Colorado Springs CO | $122k | 46 |
| 79 | Long Beach CA | $117k | 44 |
| 80 | Tampa FL | $102k | 27 |
How this ranking works
The score is the median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) for roles at employers in this industry in a city, 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 20 listings in the industry 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 30 openings 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 technology pay after cost of living?
- Foster leads the United States for pay after the cost of living in this industry: its median posted salary buys what $209k buys at average US prices.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 80 cities have at least 30 openings with pay posted, so the list has 80 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- The score is the median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) for roles at employers in this industry in a city, 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 20 listings in the industry 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 technology pay after cost of living,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-technology-pay-vs-cost-of-living
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-technology-pay-vs-cost-of-living">Best cities for technology pay after cost of living (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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