Debating whether to live in a major tech hub such as San Francisco? You might be able to command a generous salary, especially if you're a highly specialized tech pro at a major company, but the cost of living could chew a hefty chunk out of your paycheck. Late last month, real-estate Website Radpad released a short report in which it compared the salaries at some of San Francisco’s most prominent tech companies with rents in that city. Although a software engineer at, say, Google or Salesforce can pull down anywhere from $150,000 to $170,000 per year on average, a monthly rent of $3,500 for a one-bedroom (by no means unheard-of for San Francisco) can consume nearly half of that annual take-home pay. How do the nation’s other tech hubs measure up on the salary-versus-rent front? The following chart draws salary data from the annual Dice Salary Survey; the average monthly rents for a one-bedroom come from Zumper’s National Rent Report for 2015: San Francisco (Silicon Valley) Average annual tech salary: $118,243 One-bedroom monthly rent: $3,400 New York, NY Average annual tech salary: $106,263 One-bedroom monthly rent: $3,000 Los Angeles Average annual tech salary: $105,091 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,730 Boston, MA Average annual tech salary: $103,675 One-bedroom monthly rent: $2,280 Seattle, WA Average annual tech salary: $103,309 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,600 Washington, DC Average annual tech salary: $102,873 One-bedroom monthly rent: $2,000 Portland, OR Average annual tech salary: $100,309 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,300 San Diego, CA Average annual tech salary: $98,934 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,480 Austin, TX Average annual tech salary: $98,672 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,030 In many of these cities, the rent will continue to rise; for tech pros who live there, salaries will hopefully keep pace. No wonder some techies are fleeing the big cities for environs with a better cost of living. How Much Do Tech Pros Spend on Rent?
Debating whether to live in a major tech hub such as San Francisco? You might be able to command a generous salary, especially if you're a highly specialized tech pro at a major company, but the cost of living could chew a hefty chunk out of your paycheck. Late last month, real-estate Website Radpad released a short report in which it compared the salaries at some of San Francisco’s most prominent tech companies with rents in that city. Although a software engineer at, say, Google or Salesforce can pull down anywhere from $150,000 to $170,000 per year on average, a monthly rent of $3,500 for a one-bedroom (by no means unheard-of for San Francisco) can consume nearly half of that annual take-home pay. How do the nation’s other tech hubs measure up on the salary-versus-rent front? The following chart draws salary data from the annual Dice Salary Survey; the average monthly rents for a one-bedroom come from Zumper’s National Rent Report for 2015: San Francisco (Silicon Valley) Average annual tech salary: $118,243 One-bedroom monthly rent: $3,400 New York, NY Average annual tech salary: $106,263 One-bedroom monthly rent: $3,000 Los Angeles Average annual tech salary: $105,091 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,730 Boston, MA Average annual tech salary: $103,675 One-bedroom monthly rent: $2,280 Seattle, WA Average annual tech salary: $103,309 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,600 Washington, DC Average annual tech salary: $102,873 One-bedroom monthly rent: $2,000 Portland, OR Average annual tech salary: $100,309 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,300 San Diego, CA Average annual tech salary: $98,934 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,480 Austin, TX Average annual tech salary: $98,672 One-bedroom monthly rent: $1,030 In many of these cities, the rent will continue to rise; for tech pros who live there, salaries will hopefully keep pace. No wonder some techies are fleeing the big cities for environs with a better cost of living. 
