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San Francisco vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Seattle is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 4% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 29% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $72,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $64,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: San Francisco runs 4% higher than Seattle overall, and housing runs 29% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $104,000 in San Francisco. To keep $100,000 from San Francisco, you need about $96,000 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $74,500 in San Francisco, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $205,000 in San Francisco, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.6% in San Francisco, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
San Francisco and Seattle side by side
| Measure | San Francisco | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 111.1 | Seattle |
| Housing price level | 194.7 | 151.3 | Seattle |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $74,500 | $72,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $64,000 | $65,500 | About the same |
| Median pay in open postings | $205,000 | $182,500 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 73.7% | 61.3% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 17,941 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 1,504 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.6% | 4.8% | San Francisco |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 47% | 41.8% | Seattle |
| Median days a posting has been open | 56 | 44 | Seattle |
| Entry-level share of postings | 6.2% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 21.5% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -28.6% | -32.4% | San Francisco |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
San Francisco prices sit 115.6 against a US average of 100 and Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 194.7 in San Francisco against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 86% higher in San Francisco. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | San Francisco | Seattle | San Francisco vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 115.6 | 111.1 | 4% higher |
| Housing | 194.7 | 151.3 | 29% higher |
| Goods | 108.5 | 104 | 4% higher |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 92.8 | 86% higher |
| Other services | 106.2 | 106.8 | 1% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle to San Francisco; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved | Salary in San Francisco | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $52,000 | $64,500 | $50,000 | $48,000 | $39,000 |
| $75,000 | $78,000 | $96,500 | $75,000 | $72,000 | $58,500 |
| $100,000 | $104,000 | $128,500 | $100,000 | $96,000 | $77,500 |
| $125,000 | $130,000 | $161,000 | $125,000 | $120,000 | $97,000 |
| $150,000 | $156,000 | $193,000 | $150,000 | $144,000 | $116,500 |
| $200,000 | $208,000 | $257,500 | $200,000 | $192,500 | $155,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $50.02 an hour in San Francisco for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in San Francisco for 40 and higher in Seattle for 17. After local prices are counted, San Francisco comes out ahead in 29 and Seattle in 28. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $186,600 in San Francisco against $128,300 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | San Francisco median | Seattle median | San Francisco adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $36,000 | $48,200 | $31,100 | $43,400 |
| Software Developers | $186,600 | $167,300 | $161,400 | $150,500 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $43,900 | $39,200 | $37,900 | $35,200 |
| Retail Salespersons | $43,900 | $42,100 | $37,900 | $37,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $186,600 | $128,300 | $161,400 | $115,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $150,000 | $146,000 | $129,700 | $131,400 |
| Cashiers | $41,300 | $44,200 | $35,700 | $39,800 |
| Office Clerks, General | $52,000 | $53,300 | $45,000 | $48,000 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $104,500 | $101,900 | $90,400 | $91,700 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $48,400 | $47,700 | $41,900 | $43,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $45,100 | $46,800 | $39,000 | $42,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $44,200 | $46,500 | $38,200 | $41,800 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $38,900 | $57,300 | $33,600 | $51,500 |
| Project Management Specialists | $135,000 | $130,400 | $116,800 | $117,300 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,700 | $99,400 | $95,800 | $89,400 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in San Francisco for 11 of 12 and higher in Seattle for 1. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $231,000 | 2016 | $210,000 | 403 |
| Sales | $180,000 | 869 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Product and design | $211,500 | 773 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Marketing | $190,000 | 722 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Software engineering | $220,000 | 555 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Security and IT | $235,000 | 523 | $203,500 | 111 |
| Operations and logistics | $187,500 | 526 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Finance and accounting | $191,000 | 383 | $176,000 | 53 |
| Legal and compliance | $226,500 | 330 | $200,000 | 65 |
| People and recruiting | $170,000 | 309 | $150,000 | 37 |
| Engineering (other) | $175,000 | 231 | $160,000 | 99 |
| Customer support and success | $170,500 | 205 | $173,000 | 36 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
- Largest posters in Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 56 days in San Francisco and 44 in Seattle; 47% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 6.2% of postings in San Francisco and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 54.3% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 21.5% of postings in San Francisco and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 28.6% below its February 2020 level in San Francisco and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 73.7% of postings in San Francisco list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Seattle) stretches it further: $100,000 in San Francisco has the buying power of about $96,000 in Seattle.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $64,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $231,000 in San Francisco and $210,000 in Seattle, which is $199,500 and $189,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (194.7 vs 151.3) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in San Francisco or Seattle?
Seattle is cheaper. Overall prices run 4% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 29% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in San Francisco to match $100,000 in Seattle?
About $104,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (115.6 in San Francisco, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, San Francisco or Seattle?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $72,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $64,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, San Francisco has more: 17,941 against 4,540. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: all the data
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology