Software Engineer Salary: Brisbane vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇦🇺 Brisbane
Australia
A$115K AUD
$75K USD
$102K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-57%
Brisbane vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$175K USD
$175K USD
$175K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Brisbane | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | A$115K AUD | $175K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $75K | $175K | -57% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $102K | $175K 🏆 | -41% |
| 25th Percentile | A$92K AUD | $140K USD | — |
| Median | A$115K AUD | $175K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | A$144K AUD | $219K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | A$124K AUD | $189K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Brisbane offers a Software Engineer salary of $75K USD, while Seattle offers $175K USD — a difference of -57% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Brisbane's salary is worth $102K in US purchasing power terms, versus $175K for Seattle. This means Seattle 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.