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Mohamed Oun
Salt Lake City
#10 of 124
North America

Salt Lake City

UT, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Salt Lake City compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Salt Lake City is 9% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Salt Lake City compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$140,000
-$133K (-49%) vs San Francisco
Based on 417 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$93,380
-$80K (-46%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 33%

Community Insights

New
7.5/10

Salt Lake City, often branded as Silicon Slopes, offers a compelling financial proposition for software engineers, combining a high median salary with high purchasing power. The tech scene is vibrant, shifting from a satellite location to a primary hub for SaaS and fintech. Residents enjoy a lifestyle heavily focused on the outdoors, with unmatched access to world-class skiing and national parks.

However, the quality of life is heavily impacted by environmental and cultural factors. The winter inversion creates visible, hazardous smog that many transplants find difficult to tolerate. Culturally, while Salt Lake City proper is liberal and welcoming, the surrounding state's LDS influence dictates unique liquor laws and can create a sense of social isolation for those outside the faith in suburban areas.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

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

Rankings

Purchasing Power

Top 8%

#10

of 124 cities

Home Affordability

Top 13%

#16

of 124 cities

≈3 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Net Income

Top 20%

#25

of 124 cities

$93,380/yr

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Salt Lake City compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$3,539 / m²
64% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

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

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Cost of Living
41% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Salt Lake City

Adobe logo
Adobe
Lucid logo
Lucid
Goldman Sachs logo
Goldman Sachs
Booming Silicon Slopes tech hub with major companies like Adobe, Qualtrics, and growing startups
  • World-class outdoor recreation access (skiing, hiking, climbing) within minutes of the city
  • High purchasing power (ranked #11 globally) relative to other US tech hubs
  • Distinct four seasons with over 300 days of sunshine annually
  • Downtown SLC is progressively liberal and counter-cultural compared to the rest of the state
  • Family-friendly environment with generally low crime rates in suburbs
  • Manageable traffic and commute times compared to coastal manufacturing hubs
  • Surprisingly solid food scene and growing diversity in the city center

    • The Bad

    • Severe winter inversion causing hazardous air quality and trapping pollution in the valley
    • Pervasive LDS (Mormon) influence on local politics, liquor laws, and social circles
    • Housing costs have spiked significantly, making entry-level homeownership harder than before
    • Summer heat can be intense, often accompanied by ozone pollution and wildfire smoke
    • Nightlife is limited with strict alcohol regulations (e.g., lower ABV draft beer limits, early closing times)
    • Public transit (TRAX/FrontRunner) is useful but the city remains heavily car-dependent
    • Homogeneity in suburbs can make social integration difficult for non-religious residents
    • Dating scene can be polarized between active LDS members and non-members

    Moving Here

    Moderate

    Relocating is straightforward for US citizens but involves standard, complex US visa hurdles (H1B, L1) for foreigners. There are no specific digital nomad visas. English is the exclusive language of business and daily life. The expat community is smaller than in major coastal cities but growing within the tech sector. Social integration requires effort outside of the LDS church network, often revolving around outdoor activity groups.

    Who Is This City For?

    Outdoor enthusiasts who prioritize skiing and hiking over nightlife; families seeking safety and economic stability; and professionals wanting tech career growth without the extreme costs of the Bay Area. It is best avoided by those with sensitive respiratory health due to pollution, or singles seeking a bustling, late-night urban metropolis.

    Updated 1/20/2026

    Weather4.6/10-47% vs San Francisco
    Safety65+64%
    Pollution62+26%
    Events11-86%
    4.6/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

    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
    18°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
    Average Low
    7°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
    Sunshine Hours
    3,029h/yr-32h/yr
    Hottest Month High
    33°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)
    Coldest Month Low
    -5°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
    Rainy Days
    58/yr+9/yr(+19%)

    Community & Quality

    Salt Lake City community pulse

    Salt Lake City has 11 Luma events listed.

    86% fewer events than San Francisco.

    Safety Index

    Top 33%

    #41

    of 124 cities

    64.7/100

    Current value

    Comfortable Weather

    Middle of the pack

    #53

    of 124 cities

    46/100 weather score

    Current value

    Community Events

    Middle of the pack

    #54

    of 124 cities

    11 events on luma

    Current value

    Cost of Living

    Middle of the pack

    #65

    of 124 cities

    52/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Tax Rate

    Middle of the pack

    #79

    of 124 cities

    33%

    Current value (lower is better)

    Pollution Score

    Bottom 32%

    #86

    of 124 cities

    61.7/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    SWE Affordability
    3.0 years
    1.6 years quicker than San Francisco
    Muggy Days
    0/yr(same as San Francisco)
    Cloud Cover
    38%(vs 34% in San Francisco)