At a glance
The nominal median for Software Developers is $186,640 in San Francisco versus $134,120 in Austin, a gap of $52,520 a year.
After the BEA 2024 price adjustment San Francisco still leads: $161,435 versus $136,765, a gap of $24,670.
Published medians for the occupation, not an offer, take-home pay or a relocation recommendation.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
San Francisco vs. Austin: key measures
For the BLS Software Developers classification, this comparison holds the occupation code constant between San Francisco and Austin. It pairs reported wage percentiles with regional prices, metro rents and commuting context. The metrics are not job offers, apartment quotes or a complete household budget. The figures describe metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits.
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| Measure | San Francisco | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $128,090 | $96,110 |
| 25th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $163,500 | $104,000 |
| Annual occupational median (BLS) | $186,640 | $134,120 |
| 75th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $219,670 | $168,730 |
| 90th percentile annual wage (BLS) | $273,400 | $209,890 |
| Price-adjusted median (site calculation) | $161,435 | $136,765 |
| All-items RPP (BEA) | 115.613 | 98.066 |
| Median gross rent / month (ACS) | $2,474 | $1,726 |
| 45+ minute commute share (ACS) | 24.5% | 17.4% |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes when location is considered?
San Francisco leads on published nominal annual median pay by $52,520. San Francisco leads on the national-price-equivalent median by $24,670. Both measures point to the same higher-paying metro, but the advantage changes in size after adjustment.
These are different lenses: the nominal figures come from BLS, while the adjusted metric uses the 2024 BEA all-items regional price parity (115.6 for San Francisco versus 98.1 for Austin). Neither is a prediction of an actual offer.
San Francisco has a higher metro-wide ACS monthly median gross rent by $748. The share of workers with one-way trips of at least 45 minutes is 7.1 percentage points higher in San Francisco.
How San Francisco and Austin rank for this occupation
Out of the 75 curated metros with a reported software developers median, San Francisco ranks 2nd on nominal median pay and 2nd on price-adjusted pay. Austin ranks 18th nominal and 16th adjusted. The middle adjusted median across all 75 metros is $130,908: San Francisco’s ($161,435) is 23.3% above that middle value and Austin’s ($136,765) is 4.5% above it.
Ranks compare published medians for this one occupation. See all 75 metros for software developers for the full list.
Pay at each percentile and how common the job is
After the BEA price adjustment, San Francisco is higher at 5 of the 5 published percentile levels and Austin at 0. The 90th percentile is 2.1× the 10th in San Francisco and 2.2× in Austin; the middle half of wages spans 30% of the median in San Francisco and 48% in Austin.
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| Percentile | San Francisco adjusted | Austin adjusted | Higher after adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $110,792 | $98,005 | San Francisco |
| 25th | $141,420 | $106,051 | San Francisco |
| 50th (median) | $161,435 | $136,765 | San Francisco |
| 75th | $190,005 | $172,058 | San Francisco |
| 90th | $236,479 | $214,029 | San Francisco |
Twelve months of median gross rent equals 16% of the software developers median wage in San Francisco and 15% in Austin (a lens, not a budget). BLS estimates 69,030 such workers in San Francisco and 31,960 in Austin. Per 10,000 commuting workers that is 393.6 versus 331.9, ranking 4th and 6th of 75 metros (middle value 97.7). These are employment estimates, not open vacancies.
A role-specific offer checklist for this comparison
Match the actual work: Software developer wages vary across technology centers and broader regional labor markets. Compare the local median alongside regional price levels rather than relying on a national salary headline. Before treating the median difference as a personal salary difference, confirm that both positions share responsibilities, experience requirements and hours, and compare written offers with local rent quotes. The full checklist has the steps.
How reliable are the surrounding housing estimates?
These ACS medians are 2020–2024 five-year metro estimates with published margins of error. Household income covers households, not workers in this occupation.
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| ACS metro context | San Francisco | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent (± MOE) | $2,474 ± $12 | $1,726 ± $11 |
| Median household income (± MOE) | $136,027 ± $1,102 | $100,431 ± $996 |
Neither displayed rent nor income estimate crosses the site’s 30% relative-MOE caution threshold. Sampling uncertainty still applies. The 30% flag is our editorial rule, not a Census certification. See the methodology.
How should I use these figures for a relocation decision?
Start with written offers and real housing quotes, then enter them in the browser-only worksheet. Rent is already part of the price parity, so do not subtract it again from a price-adjusted salary. These comparisons are not placement, tax or financial advice.