Physician Salary: Salt Lake City, UT vs San Francisco, CA
BLS reports this occupation as "Physicians, All Other" (29-1229); every figure on this page is for that BLS occupation.
Side-by-side comparison of wages and local price levels for Physicians in Salt Lake City, UT and San Francisco, CA, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data and BEA regional price parities for 2024.
1Which City Pays More?
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Salt Lake City, UT | San Francisco, CA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Salary | $119,600 | $294,360▲ | -$174,760 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,330 | $101,770▲ | -$19,440 |
| 75th Percentile | $357,740▲ | $347,750 | +$9,990 |
| 90th Percentile | $442,310▲ | $425,070 | +$17,240 |
| Price Level (BEA 2024, US = 100) | 100.9 | 115.6 | -14.7 |
| Median at National-Average Prices | $118,571 | $254,608▲ | -$136,037 |
| Total Employment | 2,260 | 3,530 | -1,270 |
3Summary Analysis
On paper, San Francisco, CA pays $174,760 more (median: $119,600 vs $294,360). BEA's regional price parity is 100.9 in Salt Lake City, UT and 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (United States = 100). At national-average prices the medians are $118,571 and $254,608, so San Francisco, CA comes out ahead once local prices are counted.
4More Physician City Comparisons
5Reading This Comparison
The $174,760 gap between the two medians is a gap in dollars, not in what those dollars buy. Dividing each median by its area's regional price parity restates it at national-average prices: $118,571 for Salt Lake City and $254,608 for San Francisco, a difference of $136,037.
The price levels come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which describes them this way: “Regional price parities (RPPs) measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan areas for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.” The figures used here are the all-items index for each whole metropolitan area (Salt Lake City-Murray, UT; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA) and cover prices only, not taxes.
BLS estimates 2,260 Physician jobs in the Salt Lake City area and 3,530 in the San Francisco area. For broader context, see our Utah overview and the full Physician city ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Physician salary higher in Salt Lake City, UT or San Francisco, CA?
San Francisco, CA has the higher median wage for Physicians ($294,360 per year, against $119,600 in Salt Lake City, UT; BLS OEWS May 2025). Restated at national-average prices using BEA regional price parities, the medians are $118,571 in Salt Lake City, UT and $254,608 in San Francisco, CA.
How do prices compare between Salt Lake City, UT and San Francisco, CA?
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the 2024 regional price parity at 100.9 for the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metropolitan area and 115.6 for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, where the United States is 100. That is 0.9% above the national level for Salt Lake City, UT and 15.6% above the national level for San Francisco, CA.
Which city pays Physicians more once local prices are counted?
San Francisco, CA: at national-average prices its median Physician wage is $254,608, against $118,571 for Salt Lake City, UT. The adjustment divides each median by the area's BEA regional price parity and covers prices only, not taxes.