Salary comparison
Lawyers: Philadelphia vs San Francisco
San Francisco, CA pays about 24.5% more for lawyers on paper — $212,500 vs $170,660. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, San Francisco comes out ahead by $41,840 a year in real buying power.
Philadelphia, PA
$170,660
$119,970
$220,630
$82.05
100
$170,660/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Francisco, CA
$212,500
$137,380
$320,510
$102.17
100
$212,500/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $41,840 a year (24.5%) in favor of San Francisco. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Philadelphia runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Francisco sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, San Francisco is the better deal by $41,840 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Philadelphia to San Francisco for this role, the raise needs to beat 24.5% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do lawyers earn more, Philadelphia or San Francisco?
San Francisco pays $212,500 on median — about 24.5% more than Philadelphia ($170,660). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
San Francisco. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, San Francisco gives you roughly$212,500 of real buying power versus $170,660 in the other city.