Here are the best-paying cities for the 20 hottest jobs

Are you getting paid well for your career?

If the answer is no, it might not be because of what line of work you’re in — you could be getting underpaid because of where you live.

In a new study, GOBankingRates ranked the best- and worst-paying cities for the 20 hottest jobs of 2015, showing the huge impact geography has on income. Our report doesn’t just focus on which city’s residents get the highest nominal salary; because workers in expensive cities like San Francisco will typically make more than residents of, say, Des Moines, Iowa, we weighted our evaluation to account for local wage differences as a cost-of-living measurement. The resulting rankings shows you which cities actually give their workers the most bang for their income, with the highest-paying cities not necessarily the best-paying ones.

Scroll down to see where you should (and shouldn’t) live based on your job title.

Accountant

National median wage: $60,151

Best Cities

5. Haverhill, MA ($72,020)

4. San Jose, CA ($85,280)

3. New York, NY ($84,020)

2. Salinas, CA ($78,640)

1. Parkersburg, WV ($69,500)

Worst Cities

5. Honolulu, HI ($57,150)

4. Charleston, WV ($49,110)

3. Jefferson City, MO ($46,110)

2. Ann Arbor, MI ($56,910)

1. Tallahassee, FL ($47,200)

Computer Systems Analyst

National median wage: $74,234

Best Cities

5. Oxnard, CA ($98,660)

4. Chattanooga, TN ($86,900)

3. Peoria, IL ($92,530)

2. Colorado Springs, CO ($97,600)

1. Springfield, IL ($103,290)

Worst Cities

5. Lincoln, NE ($62,760)

4. Syracuse, NY ($65,900)

3. Lansing, MI ($66,850)

2. New Orleans, LA ($58,760)

1. Jefferson City, MO ($49,540)

Dental Hygienist

Median median wage: $69,071

Best Cities

5. Tacoma, WA ($94,700)

4. Los Angeles, CA ($103,380)

3. San Francisco, CA ($114,690)

2. Sacramento, CA ($103,830)

1. Oxnard, CA ($104,530)

Worst Cities

5. Pittsburgh, PA ($55,800)

4. Columbia, SC ($51,860)

3. New Orleans, LA ($52,860)

2. Oklahoma City, OK ($45,960)

1. Birmingham, AL ($46,070)

Dentist

National median wage: $143,417

Best Cities

5. Charlotte, SC ($169,760)

4. San Antonio, TX ($167,960)

3. Tampa, FL ($167,040)

2. Fort Worth, TX ($178,860)

1. Atlanta, GA ($186,310)

Worst Cities

5. San Jose, CA ($125,150)

4. Indianapolis, IN ($97,390)

3. Washington, DC ($117,230)

2. Las Vegas, NV ($96,430)

1. Bethesda, MD ($62,580)

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

National median wage: $67,564

Best Cities

5. Boston, MA ($81,780)

4. Los Angeles, CA ($84,220)

3. Seattle, WA ($85,940)

2. Phoenix, AZ ($81,930)

1. San Francisco, CA ($110, 410)

Worst Cities

5. Warren, MI ($61,790)

4. Detroit, MI ($61,380)

3. New York, NY ($68,820)

2. Hempstead, NY ($66,280)

1. Pittsburgh, PA ($54,950)

Information Security Analyst

National median wage: $81,686

Best Cities

5. Tampa, FL ($89,140)

4. Oakland, CA ($109,320)

3. San Jose, CA ($113,260)

2. Charlotte, NC ($94,410)

1. New York, NY ($114,560)

Worst Cities

5. St. Louis, MO ($75,620)

4. Columbus, OH ($74,160)

3. Cincinnati, OH ($72,370)

2. Boston, MA ($82,840)

1. Miami, FL ($67,170)

Market Research Analyst

National median wage: $53,983

Best Cities

5. Austin, TX ($73,710)

4. Fayetteville, AR ($69,200)

3. Detroit, MI ($78,110)

2. Peoria, IL ($81,250)

1. San Jose, CA ($105,020)

Worst Cities

5. Riverside, CA ($51,140)

4. Albuquerque, NM ($47,110)

3. Lansing, MI ($48,980)

2. Charleston, SC ($45,300)

1. Knoxville, TN ($44,080)

Marketing Manager

National median wage: $109,306

Best Cities

5. Austin, TX ($139,600)

4. New York, NY ($168,450)

3. Philadelphia, PA ($158,050)

2. San Jose, CA ($176,980)

1. Durham, NC ($159,600)

Worst Cities

5. Las Vegas, NV ($98,210)

4. Memphis, TN ($88,670)

3. Tulsa, OK ($85,290)

2. Nashville, TN ($84,030)

1. Oklahoma, OK ($76,480)

Mechanical Engineer

National median wage: $79,282

Best Cities

5. Chattanooga, TN ($90,290)

4. New Orleans, LA ($96,300)

3. Baton Rouge, LA ($95,780)

2. Augusta, GA ($97,920)

1. Albuquerque, NM ($102,220)

Worst Cities

5. Madison, WI ($69,770)

4. Milwaukee, WI ($71,730)

3. Dayton, OH ($69,710)

2. Columbia, SC ($62,380)

1. Lansing, MI ($68,430)

Nurse Practitioner

National median wage: $94,468

Best Cities

5. Fort Worth, TX ($103,170)

4. Phoenix, AZ ($104,350)

3. Portland, OR ($113,850)

2. Jackson, MS ($95,600)

1. San Jose, CA ($143,430)

Worst Cities

5. Philadelphia, PA ($93,410)

4. Washington, DC ($97,660)

3. Durham, NC ($87,740)

2. Bridgeport, CT ($92,020)

1. Austin, TX ($78,650)

Occupational Therapist

National median wage: $78,569

Best Cities

5. Jacksonville, FL ($86,460)

4. Fort Worth, TX ($87,340)

3. Dallas, TX ($93,780)

2. Las Vegas, NV ($97,750)

1. Fort Lauderdale, FL ($93,260)

Worst Cities

5. Detroit, MI ($70,630)

4. Buffalo, NY ($68,640)

3. Pittsburgh, PA ($67,720)

2. Minneapolis, MN ($69,810)

1. Milwaukee, WI ($65,810)

Occupational Therapy Assistant

National median wage: $57,568

Best Cities

5. Miami, FL ($61,720)

4. Los Angeles, CA ($70,510)

3. Santa Ana, CA ($72,680)

2. Houston, TX ($68,290)

1. Dallas, TX ($73,820)

Worst Cities

5. Boston, MA ($55,080)

4. Pittsburgh, PA ($47,670)

3. Philadelphia, PA ($45,290)

2. Detroit, MI ($42,470)

1. Phoenix, AZ ($30,840)

Operations Research Analyst

National median wage: $72,596

Best Cities

5. Baltimore, MD ($97,750)

4. Washington, DC ($106,960)

3. Virginia Beach, VA ($93,620)

2. San Diego, CA ($104,880)

1. San Jose, CA ($117,530)

Worst Cities

5. Tampa, FL ($52,830)

4. Jacksonville, FL ($53,210)

3. Miami, FL ($52,870)

2. Tallahassee, FL ($43,440)

1. Baton Rouge, LA ($40,800)

Physical Therapist

National median wage: $81,853

Best Cities

5. Jacksonville, FL ($89,760)

4. Dallas, TX ($93,840)

3. Toledo, OH ($89,040)

2. Chattanooga, TN ($86,950)

1. Las Vegas, NV ($111,250)

Worst Cities

5. Buffalo, NY ($72,010)

4. Denver, CO ($75,230)

3. Minneapolis, MN ($75,620)

2. Syracuse, NY ($66,740)

1. Albany, NY ($69,020)

Physician

National median wage: $148,925

Best Cities

5. Buffalo, NY ($182,980)

4. Augusta, GA ($168,730)

3. New Orleans, LA ($180,000)

2. Savannah, GA ($179,240)

1. Erie, PA ($180,900)

Worst Cities

5. Greenville, NC ($59,950)

4. Cleveland, OH ($63,290)

3. Jackson, MS ($52,520)

2. Charlottesville, VA ($59,130)

1. Winston-Salem, NC ($54,240)

Physician Assistant

National median wage: $96,732

Best Cities

5. Dallas, TX ($101,910)

4. Portland, OR ($107,060)

3. Houston, TX ($105,390)

2. Phoenix, AZ ($99,900)

1. Cleveland, OH ($104,930)

Worst Cities

5. Philadelphia, PA ($91,200)

4. Los Angeles, CA ($93,900)

3. Baltimore, MD ($87,750)

2. Chicago, IL ($86,800)

1. Washington, DC ($93,070)

Registered Nurse

National median wage: $64,555

Best Cities

5. Modesto, CA ($103,900)

4. San Jose, CA ($130,030)

3. San Francisco, CA ($130,480)

2. Oakland, CA ($127,480)

1. Santa Cruz, CA ($136,570)

Worst Cities

5. Winchester, VA ($50,620)

4. Ithaca, NY ($56,740)

3. Sioux City, IA ($47,810)

2. Joplin, MO ($43,900)

1. Decatur, AL ($48,490)

School Psychologist

National median wage: $65,858

Best Cities

5. San Diego, CA ($85,160)

4. Riverside, CA ($82,470)

3. Fresno, CA ($82,380)

2. Hempstead, NY ($94,450)

1. Santa Ana, CA ($94,640)

Worst Cities

5. Dallas, TX ($58,890)

4. Charlotte, NC ($56,860)

3. Pittsburgh, PA ($57,350)

2. Houston, TX ($56,770)

1. Salt Lake City, UT ($53,560)

Software Developer

National median wage: $85,900

Best Cities

5. Colorado Springs, CO ($104,840)

4. Bakersfield, CA ($113,260)

3. Worcester, MA ($114,465)

2. Baltimore, MD ($116,270)

1. San Jose, CA ($136,230)

Worst Cities

5. Toledo, OH ($67,290)

4. Lansing, MI ($72,710)

3. North Port, FL ($59,720)

2. Fargo, ND ($63,410)

1. El Paso, TX ($46,940)

Web Developer

National median wage: $56,805

Best Cities

5: Washington, DC ($85,000)

4: San Francisco, CA ($87,540)

3. Columbus, OH ($76,810)

2. Seattle, WA ($83,800)

1. San Jose, CA ($102,860)

Worst Cities

5. Pittsburgh, PA ($53,810)

4. Dayton, OH ($49,940)

3. Fort Lauderdale, FL ($47,600)

2. Buffalo, NY ($47,770)

1. Boise City, ID ($39,460)

Methodology

GOBankingRates gathered data for each of the top 20 jobs named in U.S. News’ “100 Best Jobs of 2015” report, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March 2015 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) to find median wage, total employment figures and other supplemental descriptive statistics, broken down by state and metropolitan statistical area (MSA). MSAs were then translated into cities, with the largest urban center/city in the MSA chosen as the representative city. Only cities with 500 or more employees in the given occupation were considered in the study (with the one exception being the position of occupational therapy assistant, whose low involvement numbers lowered the threshold to 300 employees). Once data was collected and filtered, wage differential metrics were created to account for local wage differences. Metric No. 1 compared each occupation’s local median salary to the median salaries of all jobs in the MSA. Metric No. 2 compared each occupation’s local median salary to its national median salary. From these metrics, a ranking was developed, weighing metric No. 1 twice as heavily as metric No. 2.

From GoBankingRates.com: See the best-paying cities for the 20 hottest jobs