City comparison
Albany, NY vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 10.9% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $110,900 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 23% in Albany, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.2% moving from Albany, NY to San Jose, CA ($109,810 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,904 in San Jose | $90,168 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | San Jose, CA | Real change, Albany → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $77,161 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $93,358 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $111,896 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $133,060 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $157,236 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $102,860 | $92,747 (+17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $213,110 | $192,157 (+50.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $121,700 | $109,734 (+29.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $216,740 | $195,430 (+95.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.