Software Engineer Salary: San Francisco vs Sydney
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$185K USD
$185K USD
$185K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
VS
USD Difference
+119%
San Francisco vs Sydney
🇦🇺 Sydney
Australia
A$130K AUD
$85K USD
$116K PPP
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | San Francisco | Sydney | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $185K USD | A$130K AUD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $185K | $85K | +119% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $185K 🏆 | $116K | +60% |
| 25th Percentile | $148K USD | A$104K AUD | — |
| Median | $185K USD | A$130K AUD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $231K USD | A$163K AUD | — |
| Annual Mean | $200K USD | A$140K AUD | — |
What Does This Mean?
San Francisco offers a Software Engineer salary of $185K USD, while Sydney offers $85K USD — a difference of +119% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), San Francisco's salary is worth $185K in US purchasing power terms, versus $116K for Sydney. 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.