Despite the New York pay raises, some California-based firms are holding their ground by increasing pay in NY, but remaining at $145,000 in their CA offices. Firms feel pressure to match salaries in NY because it is one of the most active and competitive legal markets in the world. In CA, on the other hand, firms will closely watch their competitors to decide their pay rate, recognizing the fact that the west-coast is a very different market than is NY.
Source: www.nylawyer.com