Senior Software Engineer Salary: London vs San Francisco
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 London
United Kingdom
£101K GBP
$129K USD
$179K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-49%
London vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$250K USD
$250K USD
$250K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | London | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £101K GBP | $250K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $129K | $250K | -49% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $179K | $250K 🏆 | -28% |
| 25th Percentile | £81K GBP | $200K USD | — |
| Median | £101K GBP | $250K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £127K GBP | $312K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £109K GBP | $270K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
London offers a Senior Software Engineer salary of $129K USD, while San Francisco offers $250K USD — a difference of -49% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), London's salary is worth $179K in US purchasing power terms, versus $250K 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.