Mid-career New York baseline: $80,000. Each city lists local-market pay and a COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalent — the equivalent is not market pay.
| # | City | Local market | Lifestyle equivalent | COLI | Take-Home % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zurich | CHF 44,077 | CHF 79,339 | 122.4 | 64.9% |
| 2 | Geneva | CHF 44,077 | CHF 76,876 | 118.6 | 60.9% |
| 3 | New York | $80,000 | $80,000 | 100.0 | 66.2% |
| 4 | San Francisco | $80,000 | $78,080 | 97.6 | 67.2% |
| 5 | Singapore | S$57,319 | S$91,398 | 87.7 | 76.9% |
| 6 | London | £38,554 | £52,711 | 87.5 | 73.9% |
| 7 | Copenhagen | kr 253,916 | kr 435,211 | 85.7 | 61.8% |
| 8 | Amsterdam | €47,482 | €56,029 | 82.6 | 63.0% |
| 9 | Boston | $80,000 | $65,920 | 82.4 | 67.5% |
| 10 | Tel Aviv | ₪149,735 | ₪234,105 | 81.3 | 75.1% |
| 11 | Miami | $80,000 | $64,080 | 80.1 | 76.5% |
| 12 | Washington DC | $80,000 | $63,840 | 79.8 | 68.0% |
| 13 | Seattle | $80,000 | $63,600 | 79.5 | 76.5% |
| 14 | Oslo | kr 441,988 | kr 630,837 | 78.5 | 68.4% |
| 15 | San Diego | $80,000 | $62,000 | 77.5 | 67.2% |
| 16 | Tokyo | ¥4,957,108 | ¥9,579,612 | 77.3 | 73.9% |
| 17 | Los Angeles | $80,000 | $61,040 | 76.3 | 67.2% |
| 18 | Sydney | A$72,752 | A$84,688 | 74.5 | 82.7% |
| 19 | Hong Kong | HK$313,253 | HK$461,108 | 73.6 | 88.5% |
| 20 | Chicago | $80,000 | $58,560 | 73.2 | 71.6% |
| 21 | Dublin | €33,916 | €49,381 | 72.8 | 76.0% |
| 22 | Dubai | AED 150,706 | AED 209,829 | 72.4 | 100.0% |
| 23 | Doha | QAR 145,783 | QAR 202,639 | 69.5 | 100.0% |
| 24 | Seoul | ₩38,595,181 | ₩69,979,157 | 68.9 | 78.9% |
| 25 | Philadelphia | $80,000 | $55,040 | 68.8 | 73.5% |
| 26 | Luxembourg City | €36,629 | €46,397 | 68.4 | 72.8% |
| 27 | Melbourne | A$72,752 | A$77,526 | 68.2 | 82.7% |
| 28 | Abu Dhabi | AED 150,706 | AED 196,497 | 67.8 | 100.0% |
| 29 | Portland | $80,000 | $53,760 | 67.2 | 66.6% |
| 30 | Denver | $80,000 | $52,560 | 65.7 | 72.1% |
| 31 | Vancouver | C$73,653 | C$70,837 | 65.4 | 69.6% |
| 32 | Austin | $80,000 | $51,840 | 64.8 | 76.5% |
| 33 | Tampa | $80,000 | $51,600 | 64.5 | 76.5% |
| 34 | Stockholm | kr 458,837 | kr 468,305 | 64.3 | 61.0% |
| 35 | Perth | A$72,752 | A$72,183 | 63.5 | 82.7% |
| 36 | Atlanta | $80,000 | $50,560 | 63.2 | 71.0% |
| 37 | Nashville | $80,000 | $50,240 | 62.8 | 76.5% |
| 38 | Osaka | ¥4,957,108 | ¥7,782,660 | 62.8 | 73.9% |
| 39 | Dallas | $80,000 | $50,000 | 62.5 | 76.5% |
| 40 | Toronto | C$73,653 | C$67,479 | 62.3 | 68.2% |
| 41 | Edinburgh | £38,554 | £37,410 | 62.1 | 74.6% |
| 42 | Munich | €60,370 | €41,716 | 61.5 | 60.3% |
| 43 | Minneapolis | $80,000 | $49,120 | 61.4 | 68.7% |
| 44 | Auckland | NZ$73,482 | NZ$78,381 | 60.8 | 76.4% |
| 45 | Houston | $80,000 | $48,160 | 60.2 | 76.5% |
| 46 | Charlotte | $80,000 | $47,840 | 59.8 | 72.0% |
| 47 | Phoenix | $80,000 | $47,120 | 58.9 | 74.0% |
| 48 | Raleigh | $80,000 | $46,880 | 58.6 | 72.0% |
| 49 | Helsinki | €30,524 | €39,478 | 58.2 | 78.0% |
| 50 | Las Vegas | $80,000 | $46,560 | 58.2 | 76.5% |
| 51 | Milan | €21,706 | €39,207 | 57.8 | 67.2% |
| 52 | Nice | €42,734 | €35,747 | 52.7 | 63.7% |
| 53 | Montreal | C$73,653 | C$56,431 | 52.1 | 62.3% |
| 54 | Fukuoka | ¥4,957,108 | ¥6,369,884 | 51.4 | 73.9% |
| 55 | Berlin | €60,370 | €34,730 | 51.2 | 60.3% |
| 56 | Brussels | €29,846 | €34,119 | 50.3 | 74.1% |
| 57 | Rome | €21,706 | €33,441 | 49.3 | 67.2% |
| 58 | Vienna | €31,202 | €32,695 | 48.2 | 67.1% |
| 59 | Paris | €42,734 | €31,813 | 46.9 | 63.7% |
| 60 | Shanghai | ¥118,482 | ¥248,812 | 46.2 | 69.6% |
| 61 | Taipei | NT$809,639 | NT$1,133,494 | 44.8 | 87.7% |
| 62 | Beijing | ¥118,482 | ¥234,271 | 43.5 | 69.6% |
| 63 | Riyadh | SAR 132,000 | SAR 127,800 | 42.6 | 90.2% |
| 64 | Panama City | $14,400 | $33,840 | 42.3 | 86.7% |
| 65 | Barcelona | €21,706 | €28,557 | 42.1 | 72.1% |
| 66 | Shenzhen | ¥118,482 | ¥225,654 | 41.9 | 69.6% |
| 67 | São Paulo | R$64,578 | R$168,711 | 41.8 | 74.8% |
| 68 | Guangzhou | ¥118,482 | ¥208,420 | 38.7 | 69.6% |
| 69 | Madrid | €21,706 | €25,776 | 38.0 | 72.1% |
| 70 | Bangkok | ฿322,314 | ฿922,313 | 37.2 | 94.2% |
| 71 | Cancún | MX$189,759 | MX$485,241 | 35.8 | 86.4% |
| 72 | Lisbon | €18,993 | €23,537 | 34.7 | 70.6% |
| 73 | Valencia | €21,706 | €22,723 | 33.5 | 72.1% |
| 74 | Santiago | CLP 12,000,000 | CLP 24,900,000 | 33.2 | 79.4% |
| 75 | Kuala Lumpur | RM 58,554 | RM 106,699 | 32.8 | 84.8% |
| 76 | Mexico City | MX$189,759 | MX$440,512 | 32.5 | 86.4% |
| 77 | Montevideo | $U 470,602 | $U 1,092,470 | 32.5 | 81.9% |
| 78 | Split | €14,923 | €21,570 | 31.8 | 60.0% |
| 79 | Málaga | €21,706 | €21,163 | 31.2 | 72.1% |
| 80 | San José (CR) | ₡6,477,108 | ₡12,630,361 | 31.2 | 89.3% |
| 81 | Playa del Carmen | MX$189,759 | MX$417,470 | 30.8 | 86.4% |
| 82 | Athens | €16,958 | €20,756 | 30.6 | 71.8% |
| 83 | Prague | Kč 479,277 | Kč 564,072 | 30.6 | 74.0% |
| 84 | Phuket | ฿322,314 | ฿756,198 | 30.5 | 94.2% |
| 85 | Porto | €18,993 | €20,417 | 30.1 | 70.6% |
| 86 | Tallinn | €17,636 | €19,603 | 28.9 | 87.3% |
| 87 | Cape Town | R 262,410 | R 414,024 | 28.4 | 81.2% |
| 88 | Warsaw | zł 75,181 | zł 88,964 | 28.4 | 79.1% |
| 89 | Lagos | ₦8,855,422 | ₦34,536,145 | 27.3 | 70.3% |
| 90 | Manila | ₱359,036 | ₱1,202,771 | 26.8 | 90.4% |
| 91 | Ho Chi Minh City | ₫180,000,000 | ₫528,000,000 | 26.4 | 79.5% |
| 92 | Budapest | Ft 5,746,988 | Ft 7,499,819 | 26.1 | 66.5% |
| 93 | Lima | S/29,639 | S/76,467 | 25.8 | 86.8% |
| 94 | Buenos Aires | AR$10,698,795 | AR$22,824,096 | 25.6 | 56.0% |
| 95 | Bali (Denpasar) | Rp 111,144,578 | Rp 312,439,759 | 25.3 | 85.4% |
| 96 | Riga | €14,923 | €17,161 | 25.3 | 69.5% |
| 97 | Phnom Penh | $5,600 | $19,840 | 24.8 | 100.0% |
| 98 | Nairobi | KSh 723,193 | KSh 2,551,837 | 24.7 | 72.7% |
| 99 | Jakarta | Rp 111,144,578 | Rp 302,560,241 | 24.5 | 85.4% |
| 100 | Hanoi | ₫180,000,000 | ₫482,000,000 | 24.1 | 79.5% |
| 101 | Krakow | zł 75,181 | zł 74,554 | 23.8 | 79.1% |
| 102 | Istanbul | ₺409,639 | ₺591,416 | 23.1 | 63.3% |
| 103 | Bogotá | COP 36,578,313 | COP 76,149,398 | 22.9 | 92.0% |
| 104 | Chiang Mai | ฿322,314 | ฿560,330 | 22.6 | 94.2% |
| 105 | Bucharest | lei 60,940 | lei 76,175 | 22.5 | 55.0% |
| 106 | Mumbai | ₹732,229 | ₹1,484,428 | 22.3 | 93.9% |
| 107 | Casablanca | MAD 62,169 | MAD 171,741 | 22.1 | 86.2% |
| 108 | Bangalore | ₹732,229 | ₹1,384,578 | 20.8 | 93.9% |
| 109 | Medellín | COP 36,578,313 | COP 67,836,145 | 20.4 | 92.0% |
| 110 | Delhi | ₹732,229 | ₹1,298,042 | 19.5 | 93.9% |
| 111 | Marrakech | MAD 62,169 | MAD 149,205 | 19.2 | 86.2% |
| 112 | Chennai | ₹732,229 | ₹1,258,102 | 18.9 | 93.9% |
| 113 | Cairo | E£273,253 | E£655,807 | 16.8 | 72.1% |
Data covers 113 cities. Local market = verified / OECD / COLI badge (same as /is-my-salary-good/). Lifestyle equivalent = NYC baseline × city COLI / 100 — not market pay. Updated 2026.
Typical electrical engineer salary range (New York baseline, USD):
The mid-career electrical engineer New York baseline is $80,000. Each city shows two numbers: local-market pay (verified national stats, OECD estimate, or COLI fallback) and a lifestyle equivalent (NYC baseline scaled by city COLI). The equivalent is not what someone earns locally.
The highest COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalent for a electrical engineer is Zurich at $97,920 USD. That figure is purchasing-power scaled from the New York baseline, not local market pay. See both columns in the table for all 113 cities.
Local-market pay uses the same country multipliers as /is-my-salary-good/ (verified national statistics, OECD wage ratios, or COLI fallback). Lifestyle equivalent starts from the New York baseline and scales by city COLI (NYC = 100). Take-home percentage is tax and social contributions on the local-market figure.