Structural Engineer Salary: Brisbane vs Chicago
Annual median salary comparison (2024). All figures include local currency, USD equivalent, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power.
🇦🇺 Brisbane
Australia
A$90K AUD
$58K USD
$80K PPP
VS
USD Difference
-47%
Brisbane vs Chicago
🇺🇸 Chicago
United States
$109K USD
$109K USD
$109K PPP
Higher Purchasing Power
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Brisbane | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Currency Salary | A$90K AUD | $109K USD | — |
| USD Equivalent | $58K | $109K | -47% |
| PPP-Adjusted SalaryWINNER | $80K | $109K 🏆 | -27% |
| 25th Percentile | A$72K AUD | $87K USD | — |
| Median | A$90K AUD | $109K USD | — |
| 75th Percentile | A$112K AUD | $137K USD | — |
| Annual Mean | A$97K AUD | $118K USD | — |
What Does This Mean?
Brisbane offers a Structural Engineer salary of $58K USD, while Chicago offers $109K USD — a difference of -47% in raw terms.
After adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP), Brisbane's salary is worth $80K in US purchasing power terms, versus $109K for Chicago. This means Chicago 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.