Yeah, I go to school in Ohio and am going to be working on the west coast. Salaries on the west coast are >2x (close to 3x) what I would have made in Ohio (Cleveland).
I haven't seen anybody raise the point about the cost of living. The salaries are more because the cost of living is higher. With 50k you can afford a mortgage for a nice house in the midwest, but in NYC the equivalent monthly income will qualify you for a tiny studio or 1 BR apt.