Mid-career New York baseline: $95,000. 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 55,420 | CHF 94,215 | 122.4 | 63.6% |
| 2 | Geneva | CHF 55,420 | CHF 91,290 | 118.6 | 59.6% |
| 3 | New York | $95,000 | $95,000 | 100.0 | 65.3% |
| 4 | San Francisco | $95,000 | $92,720 | 97.6 | 66.3% |
| 5 | Singapore | S$68,067 | S$108,535 | 87.7 | 76.3% |
| 6 | London | £75,828 | £62,594 | 87.5 | 68.2% |
| 7 | Copenhagen | kr 331,677 | kr 516,814 | 85.7 | 60.2% |
| 8 | Amsterdam | €69,273 | €66,534 | 82.6 | 63.0% |
| 9 | Boston | $95,000 | $78,280 | 82.4 | 66.6% |
| 10 | Tel Aviv | ₪164,133 | ₪277,999 | 81.3 | 74.5% |
| 11 | Miami | $95,000 | $76,095 | 80.1 | 75.6% |
| 12 | Washington DC | $95,000 | $75,810 | 79.8 | 67.1% |
| 13 | Seattle | $95,000 | $75,525 | 79.5 | 75.6% |
| 14 | Oslo | kr 553,489 | kr 749,119 | 78.5 | 68.0% |
| 15 | San Diego | $95,000 | $73,625 | 77.5 | 66.3% |
| 16 | Tokyo | ¥6,622,387 | ¥11,375,789 | 77.3 | 71.7% |
| 17 | Los Angeles | $95,000 | $72,485 | 76.3 | 66.3% |
| 18 | Sydney | A$140,388 | A$100,567 | 74.5 | 76.3% |
| 19 | Hong Kong | HK$334,789 | HK$547,566 | 73.6 | 88.1% |
| 20 | Chicago | $95,000 | $69,540 | 73.2 | 70.6% |
| 21 | Dublin | €40,275 | €58,640 | 72.8 | 76.0% |
| 22 | Dubai | AED 144,547 | AED 249,172 | 72.4 | 100.0% |
| 23 | Doha | QAR 138,494 | QAR 240,633 | 69.5 | 100.0% |
| 24 | Seoul | ₩54,274,473 | ₩83,100,248 | 68.9 | 77.2% |
| 25 | Philadelphia | $95,000 | $65,360 | 68.8 | 72.5% |
| 26 | Luxembourg City | €46,719 | €55,096 | 68.4 | 69.5% |
| 27 | Melbourne | A$140,388 | A$92,062 | 68.2 | 76.3% |
| 28 | Abu Dhabi | AED 144,547 | AED 233,341 | 67.8 | 100.0% |
| 29 | Portland | $95,000 | $63,840 | 67.2 | 65.7% |
| 30 | Denver | $95,000 | $62,415 | 65.7 | 71.2% |
| 31 | Vancouver | C$133,767 | C$84,119 | 65.4 | 69.7% |
| 32 | Austin | $95,000 | $61,560 | 64.8 | 75.6% |
| 33 | Tampa | $95,000 | $61,275 | 64.5 | 75.6% |
| 34 | Stockholm | kr 648,654 | kr 556,113 | 64.3 | 60.0% |
| 35 | Perth | A$140,388 | A$85,718 | 63.5 | 76.3% |
| 36 | Atlanta | $95,000 | $60,040 | 63.2 | 70.1% |
| 37 | Nashville | $95,000 | $59,660 | 62.8 | 75.6% |
| 38 | Osaka | ¥6,622,387 | ¥9,241,909 | 62.8 | 71.7% |
| 39 | Dallas | $95,000 | $59,375 | 62.5 | 75.6% |
| 40 | Toronto | C$133,767 | C$80,131 | 62.3 | 68.3% |
| 41 | Edinburgh | £75,828 | £44,424 | 62.1 | 68.6% |
| 42 | Munich | €91,021 | €49,538 | 61.5 | 53.4% |
| 43 | Minneapolis | $95,000 | $58,330 | 61.4 | 67.7% |
| 44 | Auckland | NZ$116,346 | NZ$93,077 | 60.8 | 71.8% |
| 45 | Houston | $95,000 | $57,190 | 60.2 | 75.6% |
| 46 | Charlotte | $95,000 | $56,810 | 59.8 | 71.1% |
| 47 | Phoenix | $95,000 | $55,955 | 58.9 | 73.1% |
| 48 | Raleigh | $95,000 | $55,670 | 58.6 | 71.1% |
| 49 | Helsinki | €38,664 | €46,880 | 58.2 | 72.6% |
| 50 | Las Vegas | $95,000 | $55,290 | 58.2 | 75.6% |
| 51 | Milan | €25,776 | €46,558 | 57.8 | 67.0% |
| 52 | Nice | €55,579 | €42,450 | 52.7 | 60.1% |
| 53 | Montreal | C$133,767 | C$67,012 | 52.1 | 62.4% |
| 54 | Fukuoka | ¥6,622,387 | ¥7,564,238 | 51.4 | 71.7% |
| 55 | Berlin | €91,021 | €41,241 | 51.2 | 53.4% |
| 56 | Brussels | €38,664 | €40,516 | 50.3 | 67.9% |
| 57 | Rome | €25,776 | €39,711 | 49.3 | 67.0% |
| 58 | Vienna | €41,886 | €38,825 | 48.2 | 61.6% |
| 59 | Paris | €55,579 | €37,778 | 46.9 | 60.1% |
| 60 | Shanghai | ¥102,325 | ¥295,464 | 46.2 | 70.0% |
| 61 | Taipei | NT$961,446 | NT$1,346,024 | 44.8 | 86.9% |
| 62 | Beijing | ¥102,325 | ¥278,197 | 43.5 | 70.0% |
| 63 | Riyadh | SAR 128,250 | SAR 151,762 | 42.6 | 90.2% |
| 64 | Panama City | $13,300 | $40,185 | 42.3 | 87.7% |
| 65 | Barcelona | €25,776 | €33,911 | 42.1 | 70.8% |
| 66 | Shenzhen | ¥102,325 | ¥267,964 | 41.9 | 70.0% |
| 67 | São Paulo | R$67,101 | R$200,344 | 41.8 | 74.2% |
| 68 | Guangzhou | ¥102,325 | ¥247,499 | 38.7 | 70.0% |
| 69 | Madrid | €25,776 | €30,609 | 38.0 | 70.8% |
| 70 | Bangkok | ฿353,306 | ฿1,095,247 | 37.2 | 93.8% |
| 71 | Cancún | MX$193,148 | MX$576,224 | 35.8 | 86.2% |
| 72 | Lisbon | €22,554 | €27,951 | 34.7 | 69.0% |
| 73 | Valencia | €25,776 | €26,984 | 33.5 | 70.8% |
| 74 | Santiago | CLP 11,578,125 | CLP 29,568,750 | 33.2 | 79.5% |
| 75 | Kuala Lumpur | RM 61,807 | RM 126,705 | 32.8 | 84.5% |
| 76 | Mexico City | MX$193,148 | MX$523,108 | 32.5 | 86.2% |
| 77 | Montevideo | $U 518,923 | $U 1,297,308 | 32.5 | 80.9% |
| 78 | Split | €16,110 | €25,615 | 31.8 | 60.0% |
| 79 | Málaga | €25,776 | €25,132 | 31.2 | 70.8% |
| 80 | San José (CR) | ₡6,730,120 | ₡14,998,554 | 31.2 | 89.3% |
| 81 | Playa del Carmen | MX$193,148 | MX$495,745 | 30.8 | 86.2% |
| 82 | Athens | €19,332 | €24,648 | 30.6 | 70.9% |
| 83 | Prague | Kč 569,142 | Kč 669,836 | 30.6 | 74.0% |
| 84 | Phuket | ฿353,306 | ฿897,985 | 30.5 | 93.8% |
| 85 | Porto | €22,554 | €24,245 | 30.1 | 69.0% |
| 86 | Tallinn | €20,943 | €23,279 | 28.9 | 85.9% |
| 87 | Cape Town | R 242,364 | R 491,654 | 28.4 | 81.8% |
| 88 | Warsaw | zł 89,277 | zł 105,645 | 28.4 | 78.3% |
| 89 | Lagos | ₦9,013,554 | ₦41,011,672 | 27.3 | 70.3% |
| 90 | Manila | ₱373,061 | ₱1,428,291 | 26.8 | 90.1% |
| 91 | Ho Chi Minh City | ₫166,250,000 | ₫627,000,000 | 26.4 | 79.9% |
| 92 | Budapest | Ft 6,824,548 | Ft 8,906,035 | 26.1 | 66.5% |
| 93 | Lima | S/28,157 | S/90,805 | 25.8 | 87.0% |
| 94 | Buenos Aires | AR$10,587,349 | AR$27,103,614 | 25.6 | 56.0% |
| 95 | Bali (Denpasar) | Rp 102,654,367 | Rp 371,022,214 | 25.3 | 85.8% |
| 96 | Riga | €16,110 | €20,379 | 25.3 | 69.5% |
| 97 | Phnom Penh | $5,700 | $23,560 | 24.8 | 100.0% |
| 98 | Nairobi | KSh 736,107 | KSh 3,030,307 | 24.7 | 72.5% |
| 99 | Jakarta | Rp 102,654,367 | Rp 359,290,286 | 24.5 | 85.8% |
| 100 | Hanoi | ₫166,250,000 | ₫572,375,000 | 24.1 | 79.9% |
| 101 | Krakow | zł 89,277 | zł 88,533 | 23.8 | 78.3% |
| 102 | Istanbul | ₺456,043 | ₺702,306 | 23.1 | 62.7% |
| 103 | Bogotá | COP 35,539,157 | COP 90,427,410 | 22.9 | 92.0% |
| 104 | Chiang Mai | ฿353,306 | ฿665,392 | 22.6 | 93.8% |
| 105 | Bucharest | lei 64,325 | lei 90,457 | 22.5 | 55.0% |
| 106 | Mumbai | ₹632,380 | ₹1,762,758 | 22.3 | 94.0% |
| 107 | Casablanca | MAD 64,597 | MAD 203,942 | 22.1 | 85.4% |
| 108 | Bangalore | ₹632,380 | ₹1,644,187 | 20.8 | 94.0% |
| 109 | Medellín | COP 35,539,157 | COP 80,555,422 | 20.4 | 92.0% |
| 110 | Delhi | ₹632,380 | ₹1,541,425 | 19.5 | 94.0% |
| 111 | Marrakech | MAD 64,597 | MAD 177,181 | 19.2 | 85.4% |
| 112 | Chennai | ₹632,380 | ₹1,493,997 | 18.9 | 94.0% |
| 113 | Cairo | E£231,777 | E£778,771 | 16.8 | 73.1% |
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 professor salary range (New York baseline, USD):
The mid-career professor New York baseline is $95,000. 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 professor is Zurich at $116,280 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.