Best Places For High Salaries

To start with, as all of us know that silicon valley is hub of all technical companies hence it comes as no surprise that software engineers earn the most in San Jose, Calif than in any other metro in USA.
Still, a recent study conducted by bizjournals (business journals), that compared the average salaries for 24 upscale occupations in the 100 biggest metros, using raw data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that salaries are not always so easily explained. Its often believed that big cities are the places where one would get the highest salaries for their skills but that is not the case according to this study. Bakersfield, Calif., for example, outperforms nearby Los Angeles in nine of the 24 occupations.
Before going further into the results of this study though, let me tell you a little bit more about the study itself. The study group consisted of USA's 100 largest metropolitan areas, ranging from New York City to Daytona Beach, Fla. The group's total population was 197.3 million, about 65 percent of the national total. The 24 occupations on which study was conducted were the ones that offer high wages to sizable pools of employees. Each job fits into the top 10 percent of the national pay scale, as well as the upper half in terms of total employment.
Now the real thing : Results

• Construction Managers earn highest in Albany, NY. Average salary: US$124,650
• Stockton, Calif., leads the salary rankings for electrical engineers. Average Salary: US$113,620
• The top-paying market for pharmacists is Bakersfield, Calif. US$ 121,020
• Surgeons draw largest paychecks in Albuquerque than in any other part of US. Avg Salary: US$ 212,850(Wow)

PIC: random guy at the window

Now, this blog is about engineering salaries so i will confine myself to the salary numbers related to engineers in major US cities.
1.) Electrical Engineers
Albany, New York: US$86,350
Austin, Texas: US$93,120
San Jose, CA: US$103,850
San Francisco-Oakland, CA: US$91,010

2.) Computer software engineers (applications)
Austin, TX: US$92,340
Baltimore, MD: US$96,110
San Francisco-Oakland, CA: US$100,050
San Jose, CA: US$ 105,400
Seattle, WA: US$89,860

3.) Engineering Managers
Albany, NY: US$125,140
Baton Rouge, LA: US$137,490
Austin, TX: US$135,280
San Jose, CA: US$152,880

4.) Computer software engineers (systems software)
Stockton, CA: US$131,270
Albuquerque, NM: US$95,480
Washington: US$100,810
Worcester, MA: 92,300

Now, the salaries given here are for the cities which have the salary for the specified profession on higher side. One can find the complete data with all the 24 professions and their salaries in all the selected 100 cities at this link. California seems to be really attractive for almost all types of engineers.
Also, if you are on the verge of selecting a career, being a surgeon seems to be the right choice (but that is totally and only considering the salary numbers;-). which are mostly above US$150,000 for all the major cities. In fact, they are in the range of US$200,000 for most of the selected 100 cities.