As someone who lives in a much less expensive part of the United States, I've run into this too (though likely not to the same degree as you). My advice: if you

As someone who lives in a much less expensive part of the United States, I've run into this too (though likely not to the same degree as you). My advice: if you're skilled enough to command a higher salary, IMO, you should always push for it. Use some of the extra money to pay an accountant to do the paperwork for you. With the rest, invest it or if nothing else, put the extra money into a retirement account. You'll just be able to retire that much more quickly.