Software Engineer Salary: Brisbane vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇦🇺 Brisbane
Australia
A$115K AUD
$75K USD
$102K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-53%
Brisbane vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$160K USD
$160K USD
$160K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Brisbane | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | A$115K AUD | $160K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $75K | $160K | -53% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $102K | $160K 🏆 | -36% |
| 25th Percentile | A$92K AUD | $128K USD | — |
| Median | A$115K AUD | $160K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | A$144K AUD | $200K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | A$124K AUD | $173K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Brisbane offers a Software Engineer salary of $75K USD, while New York offers $160K USD — a difference of -53% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Brisbane's salary is worth $102K in US purchasing power terms, versus $160K for New York. This means New York 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.