http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/biz-beat/2014/mar/06/atlanta-no-2-tech-salaries-adjusted-cost-living/
Atlanta No. 2 in tech salaries adjusted for cost of living
Posted: 2:54 p.m. Thursday, March 6, 2014 | Filed in: Business
Before accepting a job offer, college graduates with STEM degrees and professionals in related fields might want to consider a new study that ranks cities based on average annual tech salaries that have been adjusted for cost-of-living expenses.
Atlanta ranks No. 2 in the nation when it comes to offering the largest tech salaries that have been adjusted for cost of living expenses, such as housing, groceries, utilities and other necessities, according to the study by TriNet, a company that provides cloud-based human resources services.
TriNet said its TriNet SMBeat study lets prospective employees in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics know where they can get the biggest bang for their buck. The findings can also help companies decide where to relocate or expand operations.
Atlanta, with an effective average cost-of-living-adjusted tech salary of $103,000, comes in second behind Austin, Texas, where the annual average is $105,000.
On the other hand, the cost of living in New York and Los Angeles takes a sizable chunk out of tech salaries. The effective salaries in those areas are $56,000 and $70,000, respectively.
TriNet said it conducted research on more than 8,900 of its clients and about 230,000 of their employees.
Here is a list of the seven major tech hubs by cost of living adjusted average salaries:
1. Austin: $105,000
2. Atlanta: $103,000
3. Denver-Boulder: $98,000
4. Boston: $79,000
5. Silicon Valley: $78,000
6. Los Angeles: $70,000
7. New York: $56,000
A study by WalletHub also ranked Atlanta 2nd in average annual income adjusted for cost of living. The same study ranked Atlanta 31st for job prospects among 60 cities.