Software Engineer Salary: Edinburgh vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
United Kingdom
£52K GBP
$66K USD
$92K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-62%
Edinburgh vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$175K USD
$175K USD
$175K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Edinburgh | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £52K GBP | $175K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $66K | $175K | -62% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $92K | $175K 🏆 | -48% |
| 25th Percentile | £42K GBP | $140K USD | — |
| Median | £52K GBP | $175K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £65K GBP | $219K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £56K GBP | $189K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Edinburgh offers a Software Engineer salary of $66K USD, while Seattle offers $175K USD — a difference of -62% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Edinburgh's salary is worth $92K 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.