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
£75K GBP
$95K USD
$132K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-49%
London vs San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco
United States
$185K USD
$185K USD
$185K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | London | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | £75K GBP | $185K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $95K | $185K | -49% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $132K | $185K 🏆 | -28% |
| 25th Percentile | £60K GBP | $148K USD | — |
| Median | £75K GBP | $185K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | £94K GBP | $231K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | £81K GBP | $200K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
London offers a Software Engineer salary of $95K USD, while San Francisco offers $185K USD — a difference of -49% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), London's salary is worth $132K in US purchasing power terms, versus $185K 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.