Software Engineer Salary: Phoenix vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Phoenix
United States
$130K USD
$130K USD
$130K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-30%
Phoenix vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$185K USD
$185K USD
$185K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Phoenix | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $130K USD | $185K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $130K | $185K | -30% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $130K | $185K 🏆 | -30% |
| 25th Percentile | $104K USD | $148K USD | — |
| Median | $130K USD | $185K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $163K USD | $231K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $140K USD | $200K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Phoenix offers a Software Engineer salary of $130K USD, while San Francisco offers $185K USD — a difference of -30% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Phoenix's salary is worth $130K in US purchasing power terms, versus $185K for San Francisco. This means San Francisco 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.