Data Scientist Salary: San Francisco vs Washington DC
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$213K USD
$213K USD
$213K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
VS
USD Difference
+19%
San Francisco vs Washington DC
🇺🇸 Washington DC
United States
$178K USD
$178K USD
$178K PPP
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | San Francisco | Washington DC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $213K USD | $178K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $213K | $178K | +19% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $213K 🏆 | $178K | +19% |
| 25th Percentile | $170K USD | $143K USD | — |
| Median | $213K USD | $178K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $266K USD | $223K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $230K USD | $193K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
San Francisco offers a Data Scientist salary of $213K USD, while Washington DC offers $178K USD — a difference of +19% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), San Francisco's salary is worth $213K in US purchasing power terms, versus $178K for Washington DC. 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.