Senior Software Engineer Salary: London vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 London
United Kingdom
£101K GBP
$129K USD
$179K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-40%
London vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$216K USD
$216K USD
$216K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | London | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £101K GBP | $216K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $129K | $216K | -40% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $179K | $216K 🏆 | -17% |
| 25th Percentile | £81K GBP | $173K USD | — |
| Median | £101K GBP | $216K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £127K GBP | $270K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £109K GBP | $233K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
London offers a Senior Software Engineer salary of $129K USD, while New York offers $216K USD — a difference of -40% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), London's salary is worth $179K in US purchasing power terms, versus $216K for New York. This means New York 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.