Finance · 67 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Financial Examiner (2025)

The median Financial Examiner salary is $157,560 in Washington, DC, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Memphis, TN offers the best purchasing power at $121,929 adjusted.

The 67 cities below are ranked by median wage for Financial Examiner, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Financial Examiner relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$91,214

National Median

$157,560

Highest City

$57,590

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	Washington, DC	$157,560	$77,630, $254,090	152.8	$103,115	890
2	New York, NY	$133,380	$78,560, $217,430	187.2	$71,250	13,400
3	San Francisco, CA	$131,820	$81,190, $277,930	179.6	$73,396	750
4	Bridgeport, CT	$128,960	$75,180, $239,960	137.5	$93,789	0
5	San Jose, CA	$123,750	$73,540, $187,080	195.8	$63,202	190
6	Seattle, WA	$122,230	$74,710, $208,830	149.4	$81,814	210
7	Hartford, CT	$114,860	$61,660, $180,690	112.6	$102,007	210
8	San Diego, CA	$106,090	$65,800, $161,020	160.2	$66,223	220
9	Los Angeles, CA	$106,000	$66,820, $162,050	166	$63,855	1,630
10	Charlotte, NC	$105,240	$67,200, $167,690	96.7	$108,831	1,670
11	Boston, MA	$105,230	$69,330, $190,890	152.1	$69,185	820
12	Minneapolis, MN	$104,260	$71,800, $169,830	106.2	$98,173	940
13	Baltimore, MD	$103,460	$64,780, $159,950	114.2	$90,595	260
14	Sacramento, CA	$102,630	$62,290, $135,110	124.7	$82,302	410
15	Memphis, TN	$102,420	$47,460, $200,220	84	$121,929	90
16	Anchorage, AK	$101,740	$73,460, $138,620	127	$80,110	30
17	New Orleans, LA	$101,200	$60,740, $166,160	95.9	$105,527	70
18	Denver, CO	$101,070	$66,460, $171,340	112.8	$89,601	1,550
19	Richmond, VA	$100,540	$60,920, $168,060	102.1	$98,472	510
20	Portland, OR	$99,820	$65,820, $132,990	130.1	$76,726	560
21	Chicago, IL	$98,470	$63,330, $172,680	107.3	$91,771	3,160
22	Pittsburgh, PA	$97,910	$63,090, $155,080	92.3	$106,078	710
23	Providence, RI	$97,720	$60,930, $161,740	119.4	$81,843	310
24	Colorado Springs, CO	$96,670	$57,460, $134,720	104.5	$92,507	130
25	Salt Lake City, UT	$95,640	$60,780, $159,080	101.4	$94,320	780
26	Milwaukee, WI	$90,770	$59,990, $160,330	97.4	$93,193	230
27	Lexington, KY	$89,730	$60,340, $140,400	91.3	$98,280	120
28	Kansas City, MO	$89,300	$61,360, $170,250	95.4	$93,606	870
29	Madison, WI	$88,920	$72,610, $133,450	103.8	$85,665	140
30	Louisville, KY	$87,390	$60,930, $152,050	90.2	$96,885	170
31	Greensboro, NC	$87,040	$59,780, $163,940	91.3	$95,334	60
32	Des Moines, IA	$85,450	$58,840, $155,850	93.3	$91,586	460
33	Las Vegas, NV	$84,650	$53,250, $131,210	109	$77,661	140
34	Boise, ID	$84,640	$53,370, $134,680	102.1	$82,899	130
35	Oklahoma City, OK	$84,510	$44,490, $159,620	86.5	$97,699	190
36	Knoxville, TN	$84,510	$48,330, $159,040	90.3	$93,588	100
37	Nashville, TN	$84,150	$51,850, $167,420	100.3	$83,898	220
38	Indianapolis, IN	$83,570	$60,370, $177,690	90.1	$92,752	210
39	Rochester, NY	$83,400	$47,210, $152,330	92.9	$89,774	110
40	Houston, TX	$82,990	$51,150, $169,810	96.5	$86,000	650
41	Miami, FL	$82,350	$58,170, $159,090	123.1	$66,897	1,070
42	Austin, TX	$81,830	$58,600, $159,950	103	$79,447	380
43	Raleigh, NC	$81,100	$60,080, $167,360	99.8	$81,263	340
44	Columbus, OH	$81,000	$59,670, $129,490	93.1	$87,003	930
45	Albany, NY	$80,640	$52,270, $128,100	100.7	$80,079	320
46	Phoenix, AZ	$80,490	$60,200, $128,630	100.7	$79,930	1,770
47	Wichita, KS	$80,450	$50,290, $170,830	84	$95,774	110
48	St. Louis, MO	$80,430	$55,370, $153,980	90	$89,367	850
49	Philadelphia, PA	$80,350	$58,140, $166,300	118.4	$67,863	1,380
50	Tucson, AZ	$80,000	$55,880, $107,300	95.4	$83,857	30
51	Omaha, NE	$80,000	$61,440, $130,010	91.8	$87,146	440
52	Dallas, TX	$79,980	$56,180, $146,420	104.1	$76,830	2,240
53	Fresno, CA	$79,280	$56,950, $125,050	105.5	$75,147	30
54	Jacksonville, FL	$79,000	$54,010, $132,220	95.1	$83,070	790
55	Cincinnati, OH	$78,310	$51,030, $135,570	91.2	$85,866	630
56	Greenville, SC	$78,290	$48,530, $156,880	90.1	$86,892	120
57	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$78,250	$61,340, $152,070	122.4	$63,930	90
58	Atlanta, GA	$77,650	$53,100, $172,520	99.2	$78,276	1,110
59	Bakersfield, CA	$77,610	$63,340, $125,140	100.6	$77,147	30
60	Orlando, FL	$77,330	$46,560, $124,790	103.1	$75,005	270
61	Buffalo, NY	$77,100	$61,450, $107,070	92.5	$83,351	640
62	Detroit, MI	$75,930	$49,840, $155,270	95.1	$79,842	340
63	Tulsa, OK	$75,670	$50,420, $145,290	86.8	$87,177	120
64	San Antonio, TX	$73,080	$54,250, $114,450	91.5	$79,869	760
65	Albuquerque, NM	$68,440	$49,460, $116,540	94	$72,809	120
66	Tampa, FL	$59,470	$40,470, $108,940	99.6	$59,709	940
67	Little Rock, AR	$57,590	$53,350, $124,180	88.2	$65,295	330

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Financial Examiner paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Memphis, TN	$121,929	$102,420	84
2	Charlotte, NC	$108,831	$105,240	96.7
3	Pittsburgh, PA	$106,078	$97,910	92.3
4	New Orleans, LA	$105,527	$101,200	95.9
5	Washington, DC	$103,115	$157,560	152.8
6	Hartford, CT	$102,007	$114,860	112.6
7	Richmond, VA	$98,472	$100,540	102.1
8	Lexington, KY	$98,280	$89,730	91.3
9	Minneapolis, MN	$98,173	$104,260	106.2
10	Oklahoma City, OK	$97,699	$84,510	86.5
11	Louisville, KY	$96,885	$87,390	90.2
12	Wichita, KS	$95,774	$80,450	84
13	Greensboro, NC	$95,334	$87,040	91.3
14	Salt Lake City, UT	$94,320	$95,640	101.4
15	Bridgeport, CT	$93,789	$128,960	137.5
16	Kansas City, MO	$93,606	$89,300	95.4
17	Knoxville, TN	$93,588	$84,510	90.3
18	Milwaukee, WI	$93,193	$90,770	97.4
19	Indianapolis, IN	$92,752	$83,570	90.1
20	Colorado Springs, CO	$92,507	$96,670	104.5
21	Chicago, IL	$91,771	$98,470	107.3
22	Des Moines, IA	$91,586	$85,450	93.3
23	Baltimore, MD	$90,595	$103,460	114.2
24	Rochester, NY	$89,774	$83,400	92.9
25	Denver, CO	$89,601	$101,070	112.8
26	St. Louis, MO	$89,367	$80,430	90
27	Tulsa, OK	$87,177	$75,670	86.8
28	Omaha, NE	$87,146	$80,000	91.8
29	Columbus, OH	$87,003	$81,000	93.1
30	Greenville, SC	$86,892	$78,290	90.1
31	Houston, TX	$86,000	$82,990	96.5
32	Cincinnati, OH	$85,866	$78,310	91.2
33	Madison, WI	$85,665	$88,920	103.8
34	Nashville, TN	$83,898	$84,150	100.3
35	Tucson, AZ	$83,857	$80,000	95.4
36	Buffalo, NY	$83,351	$77,100	92.5
37	Jacksonville, FL	$83,070	$79,000	95.1
38	Boise, ID	$82,899	$84,640	102.1
39	Sacramento, CA	$82,302	$102,630	124.7
40	Providence, RI	$81,843	$97,720	119.4
41	Seattle, WA	$81,814	$122,230	149.4
42	Raleigh, NC	$81,263	$81,100	99.8
43	Anchorage, AK	$80,110	$101,740	127
44	Albany, NY	$80,079	$80,640	100.7
45	Phoenix, AZ	$79,930	$80,490	100.7
46	San Antonio, TX	$79,869	$73,080	91.5
47	Detroit, MI	$79,842	$75,930	95.1
48	Austin, TX	$79,447	$81,830	103
49	Atlanta, GA	$78,276	$77,650	99.2
50	Las Vegas, NV	$77,661	$84,650	109
51	Bakersfield, CA	$77,147	$77,610	100.6
52	Dallas, TX	$76,830	$79,980	104.1
53	Portland, OR	$76,726	$99,820	130.1
54	Fresno, CA	$75,147	$79,280	105.5
55	Orlando, FL	$75,005	$77,330	103.1
56	San Francisco, CA	$73,396	$131,820	179.6
57	Albuquerque, NM	$72,809	$68,440	94
58	New York, NY	$71,250	$133,380	187.2
59	Boston, MA	$69,185	$105,230	152.1
60	Philadelphia, PA	$67,863	$80,350	118.4
61	Miami, FL	$66,897	$82,350	123.1
62	San Diego, CA	$66,223	$106,090	160.2
63	Little Rock, AR	$65,295	$57,590	88.2
64	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$63,930	$78,250	122.4
65	Los Angeles, CA	$63,855	$106,000	166
66	San Jose, CA	$63,202	$123,750	195.8
67	Tampa, FL	$59,709	$59,470	99.6

Frequently Asked Questions

Washington, DC pays the highest median Financial Examiner salary at $157,560. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Memphis, TN offers the most purchasing power at $121,929 adjusted.

The national median Financial Examiner salary is $91,214 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $57,590 to $157,560 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.