Software Engineer Salary: Philadelphia vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Philadelphia
United States
$140K USD
$140K USD
$140K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-20%
Philadelphia vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$175K USD
$175K USD
$175K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Philadelphia | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $140K USD | $175K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $140K | $175K | -20% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $140K | $175K 🏆 | -20% |
| 25th Percentile | $112K USD | $140K USD | — |
| Median | $140K USD | $175K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $175K USD | $219K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $151K USD | $189K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Philadelphia offers a Software Engineer salary of $140K USD, while Seattle offers $175K USD — a difference of -20% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Philadelphia's salary is worth $140K 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.