Game Developer Salary: Los Angeles vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Los Angeles
United States
$124K USD
$124K USD
$124K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-16%
Los Angeles vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$148K USD
$148K USD
$148K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Los Angeles | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $124K USD | $148K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $124K | $148K | -16% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $124K | $148K 🏆 | -16% |
| 25th Percentile | $99K USD | $118K USD | — |
| Median | $124K USD | $148K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $155K USD | $185K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $134K USD | $160K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Los Angeles offers a Game Developer salary of $124K USD, while San Francisco offers $148K USD — a difference of -16% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Los Angeles's salary is worth $124K in US purchasing power terms, versus $148K 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.