Systems Administrator Salary: Boston vs Kuala Lumpur
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Boston
United States
$109K USD
$109K USD
$109K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
VS
USD Difference
+487%
Boston vs Kuala Lumpur
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
RM84K MYR
$18K USD
$49K PPP
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Boston | Kuala Lumpur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $109K USD | RM84K MYR | — |
| USD Equivalent | $109K | $18K | +487% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $109K 🏆 | $49K | +123% |
| 25th Percentile | $87K USD | RM67K MYR | — |
| Median | $109K USD | RM84K MYR | — |
| 75th Percentile | $136K USD | RM105K MYR | — |
| Annual Mean | $117K USD | RM91K MYR | — |
What Does This Mean?
Boston offers a Systems Administrator salary of $109K USD, while Kuala Lumpur offers $18K USD — a difference of +487% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Boston's salary is worth $109K in US purchasing power terms, versus $49K for Kuala Lumpur. This means Boston 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.