Software Engineer Salary: Atlanta vs Boston
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Atlanta
United States
$145K USD
$145K USD
$145K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-6%
Atlanta vs Boston
🇺🇸 Boston
United States
$155K USD
$155K USD
$155K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Atlanta | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $145K USD | $155K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $145K | $155K | -6% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $145K | $155K 🏆 | -6% |
| 25th Percentile | $116K USD | $124K USD | — |
| Median | $145K USD | $155K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $181K USD | $194K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $157K USD | $167K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Atlanta offers a Software Engineer salary of $145K USD, while Boston offers $155K USD — a difference of -6% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Atlanta's salary is worth $145K in US purchasing power terms, versus $155K for Boston. This means Boston 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.