San Francisco
$72,794
$100k · rank #31 · 27.2%
- Federal
- $13,170
- State
- $5,086
- Local
- $0
- FICA
- $7,650
- SDI / PFML
- $1,300
- COL index
- 165
2026San Francisco vs Seattle Take-Home
At $100,000 single (2026), Seattle keeps about $78,565 vs $72,794 in San Francisco — a $5,771 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Higher take-home
Seattle keeps more
$78,565 vs $72,794, a $5,771 difference.
Side-by-side scoreboard
Seattle
$78,565
$100k · rank #9 · 21.4%
- Federal
- $13,170
- State
- $0
- Local
- $0
- FICA
- $7,650
- SDI / PFML
- $615
- COL index
- 142
Key takeaways
- At $100,000 single (2026), Seattle keeps about $78,565 vs $72,794 in San Francisco — a $5,771 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck.
- San Francisco (CA) vs Seattle (WA) — state (and local) income tax plus payroll create the gap.
- Federal ≈ $13,170 (SF) vs $13,170 (Seattle); state ≈ $5,086 vs $0.
- FICA ≈ $7,650 vs $7,650; SDI/PFML ≈ $1,300 vs $615.
- Ranks: San Francisco #31 · Seattle #9 among 34 metros on this hub.
- Personalize filing status and deductions in each state calculator.
How to read San Francisco vs Seattle
Both columns use the same $100,000 single-filer vignette for 2026: federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable.
The $5,771 gap is state (and modeled local) income tax plus payroll — not rent. Seattle ranks #9; San Francisco ranks #31 on the national metro hub.
Compare federal, state, local, FICA, and SDI lines on the scoreboard — that is where CA vs WA shows up in dollars.
What drives US metro paycheck gaps
Employees are taxed by state of residence (and sometimes city) for wage income — federal brackets apply nationwide. NYC is the only metro on this hub with a separately modeled city PIT.
San Francisco models about $5,086 state tax and $7,650 FICA. Seattle models about $0 and $7,650 FICA.
Same-state pairs (e.g. San Francisco–Los Angeles) should match take-home; no-PIT corridors (Austin–Miami) also tie. Cross-state corridors (NYC–Austin, SF–Seattle) are where bracket and payroll differences appear.
Why the income ladder matters
At $50k the modeled gap between these metros is about $1,481; at $200k it is about $15,756. Bracket thresholds and FICA/SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.
Use the ladder before accepting an offer at a different gross — a metro that wins at $100k may not win at $150k or $200k.
Open /calculator/us/california or /calculator/us/washington to personalize filing status, dependents, and retirement deferrals.
Cost of living vs take-home
San Francisco COL index 165 · COL-adjusted proxy $44,117. Seattle COL index 142 · proxy $55,327.
COL-adjusted take-home is a purchasing-power hint from relocation indexes — not IRS withholding and not a substitute for rent quotes or a budget.
A higher take-home metro can still feel tighter if housing dominates; pair this compare with the relocation salary calculator.
Limitations of this compare
Single filer, standard deduction, no 401(k), no dependents, no stock options, no remote multi-state income sourcing.
Only NYC city PIT is modeled as a separate local line; other city wage taxes are disclosed when known.
Engine last aligned for hub review 2026-08-11. Figures are educational vignettes — not advice.
Tax stack layers
Federal income tax
IRS brackets and standard deduction. Modeled: SF $13,170 · Seattle $13,170.
State income tax
State withholding for California vs Washington. Modeled: SF $5,086 (CA) · Seattle $0 (WA).
Local / city income tax
Neither metro adds a separately modeled city wage tax on this vignette.
FICA
Employee Social Security + Medicare (+ Additional Medicare when applicable). Modeled: SF $7,650 · Seattle $7,650.
SDI / PFML
State disability or paid family leave withholding when applicable. Modeled: SF $1,300 · Seattle $615.
COL index
San Francisco 165 · Seattle 142 (100 = national average). COL-adjusted proxies: $44,117 vs $55,327.
Income ladder comparison
Same gross bands, single filer — gaps grow or shrink with state brackets and payroll caps.
| Gross | San Francisco | Seattle | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $40,566 | $42,048 | $1,481 |
| $75,000 | $57,781 | $61,131 | $3,350 |
| $100,000 | $72,794 | $78,565 | $5,771 |
| $150,000 | $102,105 | $112,869 | $10,764 |
| $200,000 | $131,941 | $147,697 | $15,756 |
Decision guides
Cross-state offer
Model both state calculators at the offer gross. At $100k the gap is $5,771; the ladder shows whether it grows or shrinks.
Job offer negotiation
Ask for the work state (and city residency rules) on the contract. A CA vs WA posting can change take-home more than the skyline name.
High COL destination
If relocating to the higher-COL metro (SF), stress-test rent against take-home — tax wins do not automatically fund housing.
What this compare excludes
- 401(k), IRA, HSA, and other pre-tax deferrals
- Dependents, credits, and itemized deductions beyond the standard single-filer stack
- RSUs, ISOs, ESPP, and other stock compensation
- Remote workers with multi-state income sourcing
- Unmodeled local wage taxes (Philadelphia Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST)
- Employer benefits, union dues, and commuting subsidies
Myths vs reality
“Every big city has a NYC-style city income tax.”
SF and Seattle do not add modeled city PIT. Gaps come from state tax and payroll.
“The higher take-home city always feels richer.”
COL indexes (165 vs 142) can erase or reverse the cash advantage. Pair tax with rent before relocating.
“Texas and Florida take-home always matches Washington.”
Washington has no wage PIT, but employee PFML can trim take-home below the TX/FL/NV cluster — check the SDI/PFML line on the scoreboard.
“COL-adjusted take-home is my real paycheck.”
It is a purchasing-power proxy only. Tax returns care about taxable wages and credits — not our relocation COL index.
How to use this comparison
Step 1
Read the scoreboard
Compare take-home, effective levy, and the federal / state / local / FICA split for both metros.
Step 2
Scan the income ladder
Confirm whether the $100k winner still leads at $50k, $150k, and $200k.
Step 3
Check same-state vs cross-state
Attribute the gap to state (and modeled local) rules plus payroll, not rent alone.
Step 4
Personalize
Run custom gross and filing status in the California and Washington calculators.
Compare another pair
Compare any two metros
Take-home on $100,000 single — state rules, FICA, and modeled local tax.
Related tools
San Francisco paycheck calculatorPersonalize California take-homeSeattle paycheck calculatorPersonalize Washington take-home$100k take-home by stateSame vignette ranked across all 50 statesSalary comparison by stateTake-home ladders beyond $100kRelocation salary calculatorCity COL + equivalent salaryReal raise by state5% after tax + CPI by state
San Francisco vs Seattle FAQs
Seattle by about $5,771/year on this vignette.
San Francisco and Seattle do not add a separately modeled city wage tax on this vignette — gaps come from state income tax, FICA, and any SDI/PFML.
COL indexes here are 165 (San Francisco) vs 142 (Seattle). COL is not subtracted from take-home — use it as a purchasing-power hint alongside rent quotes.
Single filer, $100,000 gross, 2026 — federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable. No 401(k), dependents, or stock.
Federal income tax on this vignette is about $13,170 in San Francisco vs $13,170 in Seattle.
San Francisco (CA): state ~$5,086. Seattle (WA): state ~$0.
Often yes. Check the income ladder table on this page ($50k–$200k). Bracket thresholds, FICA caps, and SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.
401(k)/IRA deferrals, dependents, stock compensation, remote multi-state sourcing, and unmodeled local wage taxes (Philly Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST). Not tax advice.
Glossary
- Take-home pay
- Gross wages minus modeled federal income tax, state/DC income tax, NYC city tax when applicable, employee FICA, and state SDI/PFML when applicable.
- City wage tax
- A local income or earnings tax on wages. Only NYC is modeled here; Philly, Detroit, Ohio cities, and Pittsburgh disclose unmodeled local taxes.
- MSA
- Metropolitan Statistical Area — Census population ranks (2023) select which metros appear on this hub.
- FICA
- Employee Social Security (6.2% to the 2026 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%) — IRS Topic 751; same in every city.
- SDI / PFML
- State Disability Insurance or Paid Family & Medical Leave employee withholdings (e.g. CA SDI, WA/MA PFML, capped NY SDI).
- COL index
- Cost-of-living index from our relocation city table (100 = national average). Used for context after the paycheck.
- Effective employee levy
- (Gross − take-home) ÷ gross — the share of salary withheld in this vignette.
- Unmodeled local tax
- A real city/municipal wage tax that exists but is not subtracted in our engine — flagged in the city’s caveat.