Typical local-market pay: $85,000/year (Verified BLS OES May 2024 · Doximity 2025 · NALP 2025 · Levels.fyi). Lifestyle equivalent of a New York $85,000 salary: $64,855/year (COLI-scaled, not market pay). COLI rank #17 of 113.
COLI-scaled lifestyle-equivalent range for a software engineer in Los Angeles (NYC baseline × COLI 76.3 / 100). This is not local market pay.
Highest COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalents (not local market pay):
| City | Local market | Lifestyle equivalent | Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich | CHF 51,653 | CHF 84,297 | 64% |
| Geneva | CHF 51,653 | CHF 81,680 | 60% |
| New York | $85,000 | $85,000 | 66% |
| San Francisco | $85,000 | $82,960 | 67% |
| Singapore | S$68,653 | S$97,111 | 76% |
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Try Wise for Free →Local-market pay for a software engineer in Los Angeles is approximately $85,000/year (Verified · BLS OES May 2024 · Doximity 2025 · NALP 2025 · Levels.fyi). Separately, the lifestyle equivalent of a New York $85,000 salary is $64,855 (COLI 76.3, NYC = 100). That equivalent is not what someone earns locally. COLI-scaled entry/senior lifestyle equivalents: $34,335 – $137,340.
After income tax and social contributions in United States, a software engineer in Los Angeles takes home approximately 67% of their gross salary, or around $4,739/month ($56,865/year in USD equivalent).
Los Angeles ranks #17 out of 113 cities on COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalent for software engineers (not local market rank). The top city on that equivalent scale is Zurich.