Civil Engineer Salary: Edinburgh vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
United Kingdom
£39K GBP
$50K USD
$69K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-62%
Edinburgh vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$131K USD
$131K USD
$131K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Edinburgh | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £39K GBP | $131K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $50K | $131K | -62% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $69K | $131K 🏆 | -48% |
| 25th Percentile | £31K GBP | $105K USD | — |
| Median | £39K GBP | $131K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £49K GBP | $164K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £42K GBP | $142K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Edinburgh offers a Civil Engineer salary of $50K USD, while Seattle offers $131K USD — a difference of -62% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Edinburgh's salary is worth $69K in US purchasing power terms, versus $131K for Seattle. This means Seattle offers better real purchasing power for this role.
PPP adjustment accounts for differences in local prices — for example, housing costs 3x more in San Francisco than in Warsaw, so a San Francisco salary needs to be much higher to provide an equivalent standard of living.