Community Events
#2
of 124 cities
46 events on luma
Current value
#42 of 124
North America
New York
NY, United States
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in New York compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in New York is 33% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in New York compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$129,837
-$43K (-25%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 32%
Community Insights
NewNew York City remains a polarizing but magnetic hub for software engineers, offering a high-stakes, high-reward lifestyle. While the cost of living (ranked #124, the most expensive) and tax burden are severe drawbacks, the city compensates with exceptional purchasing power (#42) and career trajectories that are hard to replicate elsewhere. The consensus is that NYC is less of a "pure tech" hub like San Francisco and more of a "business-first" environment where tech serves finance, media, and commerce, creating a faster-paced, grittier, and more diverse professional atmosphere.
Resident Sentiment
Current residents express a distinct "love/hate" relationship. Transplants often describe the first year as a "survival test" of adjusting to smaller spaces and higher costs, but many conclude that the career acceleration and social vibrancy make it "worth it" for at least a chapter of their lives. However, a notable segment eventually plans to leave for cheaper cities to buy property, citing that while NYC is unmatched for building a career, it is exhausting for long-term settling down.
The Good
Rankings
Top 2%
Net Income
#5
of 124 cities
$129,837/yr
Current value
Comfortable Weather
#32
of 124 cities
66/100 weather score
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in New York compared to San Francisco?
Avg. Property Price
$13,970 / m²
39% more expensive than San Francisco
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in New York to maintain the same standard of living.
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