The Income You Need in Major U.S. Cities May Surprise You

If you've ever wondered what kind of income you need to make in major U.S. cities to live comfortably, we have your answer. The experts have weighed in and determined what income you need to thrive in major U.S. cities, both for single people and families of four, and the numbers may surprise you. Let's dig in.

A new study from Smartasset.com looks at the cost of living in different cities across America. In the study, they list the income you need in major U.S. cities to live at a comfortable level. They define "comfortable" as the income you need to cover a 50/30/20 budget. Their budget methodology also assumes that 50% of the monthly income can pay for necessities such as housing and utility costs, 30% can go towards discretionary spending and 20% can be put in a savings account or investments. They also extrapolated the income needed for a 50/30/20 budget from the price of necessities utilizing information from the MIT Living Wage Calculator.

Before we get to specific cities, let's look at some key findings. Currently, on average, someone has to make $96,500 to live comfortably in a major U.S. city. The number, of course, goes way up for a family of four. Families need to be pulling in an average combined income of about $235,000 to pay for two adults and two children. Of course, some families can make it work on less, but the study points out that in those cases, families are often living paycheck to paycheck with little ability to save or invest.

Now, let's get to some specific cities. A family of four must have a combined income of more than $300k to live comfortably in six cities. How mind-blowing is that? Those cities are San Francisco, California ($339,123); San Jose, California ($334,547); Boston, Massachusetts ($319,738); Arlington, Virginia ($318,573); New York City ($318,406); and Oakland, California ($316,243). For a single person, the city that requires the most amount of money to live comfortably is New York City with an annual salary of $138,570. Other expensive cities to live in include Seattle, Washington; Chula Vista, California; Irvine, California; Santa Ana, California; and San Jose, California. They also note that some of the least expensive major cities to live in include Houston, Texas; El Paso, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Toledo, Ohio; and Laredo, Texas. So, if you're looking to make a big move to a major city, this is a reminder to save up your pennies and look into the income you need.

The traditional bachelor's degree just isn't for everyone. In fact, there are a big group of people who opt to skip the traditional college route and still make very good money. There are plenty of jobs out there that don't requite a four-year bachelor's degree but still make $100K or more per year. No, it's not too good to be true. Let's get into some of these high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Before we get into those high-paying jobs, let's talk about how to land your dream job. Indeed.com has a great checklist of things to do when you're on the job hunt. One major thing is to create a good resume. They suggest to tailor that resume to every job to which you're applying, so that it fits the job perfectly. Make one "master" copy of your resume, and then use that as a template to create special resumes for each of the jobs for which you're applying. So, how do you tailer for resume? "When deciding what to include in your resume, choose actionable items that would capture an employer's interest," they suggest. "Along with including qualitative results in your work experience section, you can also add in some quantifiable data." They also say that numbers and statistics and numbers look good on a resume, so include those.

FlexJobs.com suggests to "research companies, rather than jobs." They say to "pursue companies that mirror your values to narrow your search, and to, "seek out organizations with a strong culture fit and a mission that aligns with yours." That's a great tip so that you're finding a company with the same values and ethics that you possess. Of course, it doesn't hurt to look for actual jobs on search sites such as FlexJobs.com and Indeed.com, too. Keep an eye out for opening at your desired company that pop up.

Now, let's get into some high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Careerkarma.com has Technology Sales Manager listed as the job without a college degree that makes the most money. Average salary is $161,920. Sound good, right? Minimum job requirements are, "Experience as a sales representative and a high-school diploma."

Another high-paying job without a degree, according to Careerkarma.com, is a Computer and Information Systems Manager. They make an average of $159,010 a year. You need computer science knowledge and 5 to 10 years of management experience, they state.

Here's an interesting one. A fire chief is on Indeed's list of high-paying jobs without a degree. They state, "Fire chiefs are responsible for overseeing and managing fire departments, which involves supervising personnel, developing budgets and planning emergency responses." National average salary is $105,287 per year.

Another job on Indeed list of high-paying jobs without a degree is Product Manager. So, what is that? "They may develop and implement the large and small business strategies that fuel the product development process and manage the launch of the product's features," they explain.

This is a really interesting one: Professional Sports Referee. The top salary per year is $210,000. But, they can make as little as $21,000 per year, too, as that's the average salary. So, you have to get a bigger gig to make more than 100K for this job. This is according to Resumeviking.com. They state, "No academic background is necessary, apart from obtaining a referee certification in the sport you want to referee. The stakes are high, but so is the return if you have the nerves for putting it all out there with no guarantees of ever gaining enough recognition to join in on this multi-billion-dollar industry!"

The national salary for a Senior Real Estate Manager is $133,076 per year," according to Indeed. They state, "Senior real estate managers oversee the daily operations of a property like an apartment complex or commercial building. They typically manage maintenance teams, ensure tenants pay rent on time and fill vacancies." They suggest to "gain experience in entry-level positions and work your way up to this job."

A Court Reporter makes an average salary of $103,270, according to Careerkarma.com. The job is to take notes on legal proceedings in court. "To land a court reporter job with no degree, you’ll need to take the exam for Registered Professional Reporter certification," they note. "This requires good listening skills, the ability to type quickly, and some knowledge of common legal terms."

Executive Assistant is No. 1 on US News and World Report's list of the highest-paying jobs without a degree. "Executive assistants support high-level executives in public offices and private companies," they state. "They may manage the executive’s schedule, make travel arrangements, prioritize the executive’s emails, and sometimes act as a receptionist or gatekeeper, serving as the liaison between the executive and anyone who wishes to meet with them."