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Washington vs San Francisco: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Washington is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 6% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 29% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $71,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Washington ($65,500 against $64,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Washington runs 6% lower than San Francisco overall, and housing runs 22% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in San Francisco, you need about $94,000 in Washington. To keep $100,000 from Washington, you need about $106,000 in San Francisco.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $71,000 in Washington, $74,500 in San Francisco.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $156,500 in Washington, $205,000 in San Francisco.
- Open postings in our data: 3,856 in Washington from 540 employers, 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.8% in Washington, 4.6% in San Francisco (BLS).
Washington and San Francisco side by side
| Measure | Washington | San Francisco | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 115.6 | Washington |
| Housing price level | 151.1 | 194.7 | Washington |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $71,000 | $74,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $65,500 | $64,000 | About the same |
| Median pay in open postings | $156,500 | $205,000 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 61.2% | 73.7% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 3,856 | 17,941 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 540 | 1,504 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.8% | 4.6% | Washington |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 37.7% | 47% | Washington |
| Median days a posting has been open | 37 | 56 | Washington |
| Entry-level share of postings | 8.5% | 6.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.3% | 21.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -17.2% | -28.6% | Washington |
"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
Washington prices sit 108.9 against a US average of 100 and San Francisco at 115.6. The biggest difference is housing: 151.1 in Washington against 194.7 in San Francisco. Utilities are 38% lower in Washington. 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) | Washington | San Francisco | Washington vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.9 | 115.6 | 6% lower |
| Housing | 151.1 | 194.7 | 22% lower |
| Goods | 104.8 | 108.5 | 3% lower |
| Utilities | 106.7 | 172.6 | 38% lower |
| Other services | 102.3 | 106.2 | 4% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from San Francisco to Washington; 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 San Francisco | Matching salary in Washington | If only housing moved | Salary in Washington | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,000 | $39,000 | $50,000 | $53,000 | $64,500 |
| $75,000 | $70,500 | $58,000 | $75,000 | $79,500 | $96,500 |
| $100,000 | $94,000 | $77,500 | $100,000 | $106,000 | $129,000 |
| $125,000 | $117,500 | $97,000 | $125,000 | $132,500 | $161,000 |
| $150,000 | $141,500 | $116,500 | $150,000 | $159,500 | $193,500 |
| $200,000 | $188,500 | $155,000 | $200,000 | $212,500 | $257,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $45.28 an hour in Washington for someone earning $100,000 in San Francisco.
Pay for the same job
Across the 60 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Washington for 7 and higher in San Francisco for 53. After local prices are counted, Washington comes out ahead in 14 and San Francisco in 46. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $102,700 in Washington against $186,600 in San Francisco.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Washington median | San Francisco median | Washington adjusted for prices | San Francisco adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,500 | $36,000 | $35,400 | $31,100 |
| General and Operations Managers | $156,500 | $150,000 | $143,700 | $129,700 |
| Software Developers | $154,900 | $186,600 | $142,300 | $161,400 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $43,900 | $31,800 | $37,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,600 | $43,900 | $33,600 | $37,900 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $104,800 | $104,500 | $96,200 | $90,400 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,800 | $44,200 | $34,800 | $38,200 |
| Cashiers | $35,500 | $41,300 | $32,600 | $35,700 |
| Registered Nurses | $102,700 | $186,600 | $94,300 | $161,400 |
| Management Analysts | $126,800 | $126,700 | $116,500 | $109,600 |
| Office Clerks, General | $51,900 | $52,000 | $47,600 | $45,000 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $46,000 | $38,900 | $42,300 | $33,600 |
| Security Guards | $46,800 | $45,700 | $43,000 | $39,600 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,100 | $110,700 | $93,800 | $95,800 |
| Lawyers | $195,200 | $212,500 | $179,300 | $183,800 |
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 Washington for 0 of 12 and higher in San Francisco for 12. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Washington median listed pay | Postings | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $193,000 | 163 | $231,000 | 2016 |
| Sales | $166,500 | 155 | $180,000 | 869 |
| Product and design | $164,500 | 38 | $211,500 | 773 |
| Marketing | $165,000 | 64 | $190,000 | 722 |
| Software engineering | $156,000 | 135 | $220,000 | 555 |
| Security and IT | $175,000 | 97 | $235,000 | 523 |
| Operations and logistics | $132,000 | 77 | $187,500 | 526 |
| Finance and accounting | $141,000 | 51 | $191,000 | 383 |
| Legal and compliance | $197,500 | 66 | $226,500 | 330 |
| People and recruiting | $170,000 | 18 | $170,000 | 309 |
| Customer support and success | $156,500 | 29 | $170,500 | 205 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $155,000 | 36 | $250,000 | 85 |
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 Washington: Accenturefederalservices (266), Anduril Industries (184), Leidos (162), AstraZeneca (121), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (76).
- Largest posters in San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
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 37 days in Washington and 56 in San Francisco; 37.7% and 47% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 8.5% of postings in Washington and 6.2% in San Francisco; senior and above are 45.1% and 54.3%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.3% of postings in Washington and 21.5% in San Francisco.
- Indeed's postings index sits 17.2% below its February 2020 level in Washington and 28.6% below in San Francisco.
- 61.2% of postings in Washington list pay, against 73.7% in San Francisco.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Washington) stretches it further: $100,000 in San Francisco has the buying power of about $94,000 in Washington.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Washington comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $64,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $193,000 in Washington and $231,000 in San Francisco, which is $177,500 and $199,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (151.1 vs 194.7) 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 Washington or San Francisco?
Washington is cheaper. Overall prices run 6% 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 Washington to match $100,000 in San Francisco?
About $94,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (108.9 in Washington, 115.6 in San Francisco). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Washington or San Francisco?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $71,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Washington 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 3,856. 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
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: all the data
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 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