Data Scientist Salary: Phoenix vs Seattle
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇺🇸 Phoenix
United States
$150K USD
$150K USD
$150K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-26%
Phoenix vs Seattle
🇺🇸 Seattle
United States
$201K USD
$201K USD
$201K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Phoenix | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | $150K USD | $201K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $150K | $201K | -26% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $150K | $201K 🏆 | -26% |
| 25th Percentile | $120K USD | $161K USD | — |
| Median | $150K USD | $201K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | $187K USD | $252K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | $161K USD | $217K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Phoenix offers a Data Scientist salary of $150K USD, while Seattle offers $201K USD — a difference of -26% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Phoenix's salary is worth $150K in US purchasing power terms, versus $201K 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.