Data Scientist Salary: Edinburgh vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
United Kingdom
£60K GBP
$76K USD
$105K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-64%
Edinburgh vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$213K USD
$213K USD
$213K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Edinburgh | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £60K GBP | $213K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $76K | $213K | -64% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $105K | $213K 🏆 | -50% |
| 25th Percentile | £48K GBP | $170K USD | — |
| Median | £60K GBP | $213K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £75K GBP | $266K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £65K GBP | $230K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Edinburgh offers a Data Scientist salary of $76K USD, while San Francisco offers $213K USD — a difference of -64% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Edinburgh's salary is worth $105K in US purchasing power terms, versus $213K for San Francisco. This means San Francisco 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.