Salary comparison
Industrial Engineers: Fort Collins vs Santa Cruz
Fort Collins, CO pays about 0.1% more for industrial engineers on paper — $131,870 vs $131,740. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Fort Collins comes out ahead by $130 a year in real buying power.
Fort Collins, CO
$131,870
$99,060
$143,640
$63.40
100
$131,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$131,740
$107,110
$163,210
$63.34
100
$131,740/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $130 a year (0.1%) in favor of Fort Collins. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fort Collins runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Fort Collins is the better deal by $130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Fort Collins for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do industrial engineers earn more, Fort Collins or Santa Cruz?
Fort Collins pays $131,870 on median — about 0.1% more than Santa Cruz ($131,740). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Fort Collins. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Fort Collins gives you roughly$131,870 of real buying power versus $131,740 in the other city.