Software Engineer Salary: Perth vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇦🇺 Perth
Australia
A$120K AUD
$78K USD
$107K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-55%
Perth vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$175K USD
$175K USD
$175K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Perth | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | A$120K AUD | $175K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $78K | $175K | -55% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $107K | $175K 🏆 | -39% |
| 25th Percentile | A$96K AUD | $140K USD | — |
| Median | A$120K AUD | $175K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | A$150K AUD | $219K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | A$130K AUD | $189K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Perth offers a Software Engineer salary of $78K USD, while Seattle offers $175K USD — a difference of -55% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Perth's salary is worth $107K 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.