AI Research Scientist Salary: Los Angeles vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Los Angeles
United States
$217K USD
$217K USD
$217K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-3%
Los Angeles vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$224K USD
$224K USD
$224K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Los Angeles | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $217K USD | $224K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $217K | $224K | -3% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $217K | $224K 🏆 | -3% |
| 25th Percentile | $174K USD | $179K USD | — |
| Median | $217K USD | $224K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $271K USD | $280K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $234K USD | $242K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Los Angeles offers a AI Research Scientist salary of $217K USD, while New York offers $224K USD — a difference of -3% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Los Angeles's salary is worth $217K in US purchasing power terms, versus $224K for New York. This means New York offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.