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Regional Salary Differences

Working in a major city where the cost of living is higher doesn’t always translate into a higher salary. The average compensation in large cities in the Northeast, Southwest and Great Plains regions were slightly behind the averages of their overall respective regions. 

The San Francisco/Silicon Valley area commanded the highest salary at an average $196,833, but it’s followed closely by the much more affordable Houston area, with an average salary of $180,240. Despite its size and wealth, New York ranked fifth among cities in terms of pay ($130,981). East Coast-based travel managers would do better in Washington, D.C. ($144,667). 

In the Southeast, salaries were also lower ($126,041) with Atlanta ranking last among the cities polled ($109,500). But compensations in the Northwest region were even lower ($117,773), even though Seattle paid among the highest compensation ($147,167), indicating a big fall-off once out of the city.