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Mohamed Oun
Pittsburgh
#7 of 124
North America

Pittsburgh

PA, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Pittsburgh compare to Orlando?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Pittsburgh is 20% better off vs in Orlando

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Pittsburgh compared to Orlando, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$133,000
+$13K (+11%) vs Orlando
Based on 251 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$96,425
+$11K (+13%) vs Orlando
Tax Rate: 28%

Community Insights

New

Pittsburgh presents a compelling value proposition for software engineers, trading the infinite career velocity of Silicon Valley for top-tier affordability and a distinct, grounded culture. While the raw salary numbers might appear lower than coastal giants, the purchasing power ranks among the best in the nation. The tech scene is sophisticated but niche, heavily weighted towards robotics, AI, and healthcare rather than general consumer web apps.

However, potential residents must be prepared for the gloomy weather and a smaller job market that doesn't support rapid-fire job switching locally. The city is transitioning successfully from steel to tech, but it retains a gritty, authentic edge that residents either deeply love or find confining.

Resident Sentiment

Transplants often express pleasant surprise at how far their money goes and how "livable" the city is, frequently comparing it favorably to the chaotic growth of Austin or the expense of the Northeast corridor.

Long-term residents fiercely defend the city's "weird" personality and food scene, though complaints about the grey skies and the "Pittsburgh Left" driving style are perennial discussion topics. There is a strong sentiment that the city is a hidden gem that is finally getting its due, though some worry about rising rents eroding its primary advantage.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Orlando.

Rankings

Home Affordability

Top 2%

#2

of 124 cities

≈1.9 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 6%

#7

of 124 cities

Net Income

Top 15%

#18

of 124 cities

$96,425/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Pittsburgh compared to Orlando?

Avg. Property Price
$2,298 / m²
18% cheaper than Orlando
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Pittsburgh to maintain the same standard of living.

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Cost of Living
6% cheaper than Orlando
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Pittsburgh

Aurora logo
Aurora
Google logo
Google
Duolingo logo
Duolingo

The Good

  • Extremely high purchasing power for software engineers; a standard tech salary allows for home ownership and a high quality of life that is unattainable in coastal hubs.
  • World-class robotics and AI hub, largely driven by Carnegie Mellon University, offering unique opportunities for specialists in these fields.
  • Distinct neighborhood personality and walkability; unlike many sprawling US cities, Pittsburgh has dense, walkable communities with unique local cultures.
  • Tech community feeling is tight-knit and accessible, with less 'hustle culture' toxicity than the Bay Area or NYC.

The Bad

  • Weather is frequently cited as a major drawback, with long, grey winters and significant cloud cover (less sunshine than Seattle).
  • Job market size is smaller than Tier 1 hubs; while stable, there are fewer options for frequent job-hopping without going fully remote.
  • Air quality remains a concern for some residents due to the region's industrial history and geography, despite improvements.
  • Infrastructure and geography (hills, tunnels, bridges) can make commuting across town frustrating and illogical compared to grid cities.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Value-conscious seniors and mid-level engineers looking to buy a home and settle down without sacrificing career interestingness. It is also a paradise for robotics and AI specialists who want to work at the bleeding edge while living affordably.

Remote workers earning coastal salaries will live like royalty here, upgrading their lifestyle significantly.

Skip it if...

Junior developers relying solely on local listings might struggle, as the entry-level market is tighter and more competitive due to the influx of CMU grads.

Sun-worshippers and those prone to seasonal affective disorder should avoid it. Additionally, career climbers who want to job-hop every 18 months among local unicorns will find the ceiling too low.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather3.8/10-33% vs Orlando
Safety61+18%
Pollution49+39%
Events0
3.8/10TechCities weather score vs 5.7/10 in Orlando

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
16°C(vs 28°C in Orlando)
Average Low
7°C(vs 18°C in Orlando)
Sunshine Hours
2,021h/yr-879h/yr(-30%)
Hottest Month High
28°C(vs 32°C in Orlando)
Coldest Month Low
-4°C(vs 11°C in Orlando)
Rainy Days
103/yr-26/yr(-20%)

Community & Quality

Pittsburgh community pulse

Pittsburgh has 0 Luma events listed.

Orlando has no listed Luma events for comparison.

Tax Rate

Top 25%

#31

of 124 cities

28%

Current value (lower is better)

Safety Index

Middle of the pack

#50

of 124 cities

61.4/100

Current value

Pollution Score

Middle of the pack

#62

of 124 cities

48.5/100

Current value (lower is better)

Cost of Living

Middle of the pack

#68

of 124 cities

55/100

Current value (lower is better)

Comfortable Weather

Middle of the pack

#78

of 124 cities

38/100 weather score

Current value

Community Events

Bottom 12%

#110

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

SWE Affordability
1.9 years
0.7 years quicker than Orlando
Muggy Days
33/yr-153/yr(-82%)
Cloud Cover
51%(vs 47% in Orlando)