Software Engineer Salary: Edinburgh vs New York
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
United Kingdom
£52K GBP
$66K USD
$92K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-59%
Edinburgh vs New York
🇺🇸 New York
United States
$160K USD
$160K USD
$160K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Edinburgh | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £52K GBP | $160K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $66K | $160K | -59% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $92K | $160K 🏆 | -43% |
| 25th Percentile | £42K GBP | $128K USD | — |
| Median | £52K GBP | $160K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £65K GBP | $200K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £56K GBP | $173K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Edinburgh offers a Software Engineer salary of $66K USD, while New York offers $160K USD — a difference of -59% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Edinburgh's salary is worth $92K 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.