Data Scientist Salary: Philadelphia vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Philadelphia
United States
$161K USD
$161K USD
$161K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-24%
Philadelphia vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$213K USD
$213K USD
$213K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $161K USD | $213K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $161K | $213K | -24% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $161K | $213K 🏆 | -24% |
| 25th Percentile | $129K USD | $170K USD | — |
| Median | $161K USD | $213K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $201K USD | $266K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $174K USD | $230K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Philadelphia offers a Data Scientist salary of $161K USD, while San Francisco offers $213K USD — a difference of -24% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Philadelphia's salary is worth $161K 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.