What if the same job pays twice as much just by crossing a state line? I pulled official Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data for 30 occupations across 20 major US cities to find out. Using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data, here are some salary differences that stood out: Software Developers: San Francisco: $160,000+ median Dallas: ~$110,000 median Same job title, same skills, 45% pay difference Registered Nurses: California metros consistently pay $30,000-40,000 more than Southern cities But California's cost of living eats most of that difference Accountants: New York: ~$95,000 median Atlanta: ~$72,000 median A 30% gap for the same certification Raw salary numbers don't tell the whole story. That's why I built a take-home pay calculator that factors in: Federal taxes (2026 brackets by filing status) State income tax (0% in Texas/Florida vs 13%+ in California) 401(k) contributions (pre-tax deductions) Cost of living context (rent as % of take-home pay) A $160K salary in San Francisco with 13% state tax and $3,200/month rent leaves you with roughly the same disposable income as $110K in Dallas with 0% state tax and $1,700/month rent. I used the BLS OEWS survey, which covers: Median salary, 25th and 75th percentiles Entry-level and senior salary estimates Employment counts per metro area The tool covers 600+ job-city combinations. Every page has the tax calculator so you can adjust for your personal situation. Free at salary-by-city.pages.dev — search by job title or city. The take-home calculator adjusts for filing status, state tax, and 401(k). No signup needed. All salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024 release. Tax calculations use estimated 2026 federal brackets.