Sovereign

AI

AI Engineer Salary · San Francisco vs New York

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

San Francisco

$182,637

30.0% effective rate

Net pay

New York

$182,637

30.0% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

+$0

San Francisco advantage

City

San Francisco

The epicenter of global technology, offering the highest base salaries adjusted for a fiercely competitive housing market.

Median professional income

$78,500

Role modeled

AI Engineer

Gross base

$261,000

Net after tax

$182,637

Cost-of-living index

96

Rent index

98

City

New York

The global financial capital, characterized by high compensation but significant cost of living and local tax burdens.

Median professional income

$78,500

Role modeled

AI Engineer

Gross base

$261,000

Net after tax

$182,637

Cost-of-living index

73

Rent index

64

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

San Francisco

$15,220

Housing$3,805
Essentials$2,283
Discretionary$3,805
Savings$5,327

New York

$15,220

Housing$3,805
Essentials$2,283
Discretionary$3,805
Savings$5,327

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

Interlink into adjacent hubs to keep crawlers following the mesh.

Frequently asked

Who wins for AI Engineer net pay: San Francisco or New York?+
San Francisco keeps about $0 more after tax (30.0% effective rate) compared to New York (30.0%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
San Francisco posts a cost-of-living index of 96 and rent index of 98. New York comes in at 73 / 64. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets New York's taxes?+
You would need roughly $0 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in San Francisco.