What Is a Good Salary in 2025? City-by-City Breakdown
The question "is this a good salary?" has no universal answer. A $90,000 salary is comfortable in Memphis and barely survivable in San Francisco. After taxes and cost of living, the same number means completely different things depending on where you live and work.
This guide breaks down what various salary levels actually mean in purchasing power across major US cities, using 2025 cost of living data and 2024 federal and state tax rates.
Why your nominal salary is almost never your real salary
When a company offers you $100,000 a year, that number reflects three things you should always check: the cost of living in the city where you'll work, the taxes you'll owe in that state, and how the number compares to what other people with your experience are actually making.
Cost of living varies more than most people realize. According to Numbeo's 2025 Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, San Francisco is nearly twice as expensive as the US average. Meanwhile, cities like Memphis and Cincinnati come in well below the national average. The same paycheck goes dramatically further in some places than others.
State income taxes add another layer. Texas, Florida, and Washington charge zero state income tax. California charges up to 13.3%. On a $100,000 salary, that difference is worth $8,000–$10,000 per year in take-home pay.
What $80,000 gets you across US cities
| City | State tax | Monthly take-home | Real purchasing power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 0% | ~$5,100 | $80,000 |
| Nashville, TN | 0% | ~$5,100 | $84,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2.5% | ~$4,950 | $82,000 |
| Denver, CO | 4.4% | ~$4,850 | $73,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 4.95% | ~$4,820 | $72,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 0% | ~$5,100 | $62,000 |
| Boston, MA | 9% | ~$4,580 | $58,000 |
| New York, NY | 10.9% | ~$4,480 | $53,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 9.3% | ~$4,550 | $55,000 |
Key insight: An $80,000 salary in Austin provides roughly the same purchasing power as $120,000 in San Francisco, once you account for cost of living and California's state income tax.
What $100,000 gets you in different cities
$100,000 has become a psychological benchmark. In many high-cost coastal cities it puts you solidly in the middle class. In lower-cost metros, it is a genuinely comfortable income.
| City | Monthly take-home | Real purchasing power | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | ~$6,400 | $100,000 | Very comfortable |
| Atlanta, GA | ~$6,100 | $99,000 | Comfortable |
| Chicago, IL | ~$6,050 | $90,000 | Comfortable |
| Seattle, WA | ~$6,400 | $78,000 | Decent |
| Washington, DC | ~$5,900 | $75,000 | Tight |
| Boston, MA | ~$5,750 | $73,000 | Tight |
| New York, NY | ~$5,600 | $66,000 | Challenging |
| San Francisco, CA | ~$5,700 | $68,000 | Challenging |
What makes a salary good beyond the numbers
The 50/30/20 rule
A common framework suggests spending no more than 50% of take-home pay on needs, 30% on wants, and saving 20%. If your housing alone eats 40% of take-home pay — common in high-cost cities — your salary needs to be substantially higher to maintain financial health.
Market positioning
A salary is only truly good if it is at or above market rate for your role and experience level. Being paid below the 40th percentile for your job title means you are leaving money on the table that you could recover through negotiation or a job change.
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Use the free calculator →Bottom line
There is no single answer to what is a good salary. The same number can mean financial security or financial stress depending on where you live, what state taxes you pay, and how your pay compares to peers. Before accepting or declining any offer, check all three numbers: take-home pay after taxes, purchasing power adjusted for local cost of living, and your percentile in the market for your role.