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Software Engineer Salary Comparison

Side-by-side evaluation of salaries, local taxes, monthly expenses, and real purchasing power

✓ Real-time Comparison
🔍 Change Comparison Cities
City 1:
VS
City 2:

💡 Smart Analysis

Comparing San Francisco and Seattle: Average gross pay is 13% higher in San Francisco. Cost of living is 14% cheaper in Seattle. With higher take-home and lower expenses, Seattle is a more financially comfortable place to live with an affordability score of 6.2/10 compared to 5.2/10.

Category Comparison
🇺🇸
San Francisco
🇺🇸
Seattle

💰 Gross Salaries & Ranges

Average Gross Salary (Annual)
The primary average salary across experience ranges
$178,000/yr
HIGHER
$157,000/yr
Junior Developer Pay
$103,000
$90,000
Mid-Level Developer Pay
$151,000
$133,000
Senior Developer Pay
$216,000
$191,000
Lead / Architect Pay
$270,000
$239,000

🏠 Monthly Cost of Living

Rent — City Center (1 Bed)
$3,800
$2,800
Rent — Suburbs (1 Bed)
$2,400
$1,800
Groceries (Monthly)
$650
$550
Public Transport Pass
$120
$100
Utilities (Electricity, Internet)
$320
$280
Estimated Cost of Living
Rent center, groceries, transport plans & hobbies included
$5,408/mo
$4,627/mo
CHEAPER

🧾 Tax rates & Take-home

Average Income Tax Rate
35%
0%
Social Security Deduction
8%
8%
Monthly Take-home (After Tax)
Estimated direct net monthly deposit based on mid-level pay
$7,487/mo
$9,532/mo

📊 Affordability & Savings

Affordability Index
Score out of 10 comparing local net pay to costs
5.2
6.2
MORE AFFORDABLE
Monthly Savings Potential
Money left over after all standard cost of living expenses
$2,079/mo
$4,905/mo
Months to Save $10,000
~5 months
~2 months
🇺🇸 Complete San Francisco Breakdown & Charts → 🇺🇸 Complete Seattle Breakdown & Charts →