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Software Engineer Salary Comparison

Side-by-side evaluation of salaries, local taxes, monthly expenses, and real purchasing power

✓ Real-time Comparison
🔍 Change Comparison Cities
City 1:
VS
City 2:

💡 Smart Analysis

Comparing Charlotte and Washington: Average gross pay is 19% higher in Washington. Cost of living is 19% cheaper in Charlotte. With higher take-home and lower expenses, Charlotte is a more financially comfortable place to live with an affordability score of 6.8/10 compared to 6.2/10.

Category Comparison
🇺🇸
Charlotte
🇺🇸
Washington

💰 Gross Salaries & Ranges

Average Gross Salary (Annual)
The primary average salary across experience ranges
$110,000/yr
$131,000/yr
HIGHER
Junior Developer Pay
$65,000
$76,000
Mid-Level Developer Pay
$97,000
$113,000
Senior Developer Pay
$143,000
$166,000
Lead / Architect Pay
$179,000
$208,000

🏠 Monthly Cost of Living

Rent — City Center (1 Bed)
$1,620
$2,500
Rent — Suburbs (1 Bed)
$1,030
$1,600
Groceries (Monthly)
$460
$540
Public Transport Pass
$70
$85
Utilities (Electricity, Internet)
$225
$265
Estimated Cost of Living
Rent center, groceries, transport plans & hobbies included
$3,478/mo
CHEAPER
$4,278/mo

🧾 Tax rates & Take-home

Average Income Tax Rate
7%
25%
Social Security Deduction
8%
8%
Monthly Take-home (After Tax)
Estimated direct net monthly deposit based on mid-level pay
$6,737/mo
$6,309/mo

📊 Affordability & Savings

Affordability Index
Score out of 10 comparing local net pay to costs
6.8
MORE AFFORDABLE
6.2
Monthly Savings Potential
Money left over after all standard cost of living expenses
$3,259/mo
$2,031/mo
Months to Save $10,000
~3 months
~5 months
🇺🇸 Complete Charlotte Breakdown & Charts → 🇺🇸 Complete Washington Breakdown & Charts →