Salary comparison
Administrative Services Managers: Denver vs San Jose
Denver, CO pays about 19.2% more for administrative services managers on paper — $164,240 vs $137,820. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Denver comes out ahead by $26,420 a year in real buying power.
Denver, CO
$164,240
$126,730
$196,020
$78.96
100
$164,240/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Jose, CA
$137,820
$103,340
$206,300
$66.26
100
$137,820/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $26,420 a year (19.2%) in favor of Denver. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Denver runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Jose sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Denver is the better deal by $26,420 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Jose to Denver for this role, the raise needs to beat 19.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do administrative services managers earn more, Denver or San Jose?
Denver pays $164,240 on median — about 19.2% more than San Jose ($137,820). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Denver. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Denver gives you roughly$164,240 of real buying power versus $137,820 in the other city.