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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 Los Angeles and New York: Average gross pay is 2% higher in Los Angeles. Cost of living is 3% cheaper in Los Angeles. Both cities offer nearly identical purchasing power margins.

Category Comparison
🇺🇸
Los Angeles
🇺🇸
New York

💰 Gross Salaries & Ranges

Average Gross Salary (Annual)
The primary average salary across experience ranges
$145,000/yr
HIGHER
$142,000/yr
Junior Developer Pay
$84,000
$82,000
Mid-Level Developer Pay
$124,000
$120,000
Senior Developer Pay
$181,000
$175,000
Lead / Architect Pay
$226,000
$218,000

🏠 Monthly Cost of Living

Rent — City Center (1 Bed)
$2,800
$3,500
Rent — Suburbs (1 Bed)
$1,800
$2,200
Groceries (Monthly)
$580
$600
Public Transport Pass
$110
$130
Utilities (Electricity, Internet)
$285
$300
Estimated Cost of Living
Rent center, groceries, transport plans & hobbies included
$4,670/mo
CHEAPER
$4,835/mo

🧾 Tax rates & Take-home

Average Income Tax Rate
25%
25%
Social Security Deduction
8%
8%
Monthly Take-home (After Tax)
Estimated direct net monthly deposit based on mid-level pay
$6,923/mo
$6,700/mo

📊 Affordability & Savings

Affordability Index
Score out of 10 comparing local net pay to costs
5.8
5.8
Monthly Savings Potential
Money left over after all standard cost of living expenses
$2,253/mo
$1,865/mo
Months to Save $10,000
~4 months
~5 months
🇺🇸 Complete Los Angeles Breakdown & Charts → 🇺🇸 Complete New York Breakdown & Charts →