Raleigh vs Austin: where does a ai safety researcher save more?
Best for saving: Raleigh — about $3,680/mo after taxes and living costs.
Raleigh US ★ Best for saving | Austin US | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $108,540 | $97,190 |
| Take-home / mo | $6,480 | $6,259 |
| Income tax | ~28% | ~23% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,800 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $3,680 | $3,349 |
| Savings rate | 57% | 54% |
| Verdict | Excellent | Excellent |
Single professional, after-tax. "Savings" = take-home − a baseline cost of living. A planning estimate, not financial advice.
How we calculated this
• Salary: BLS/OECD median for a ai safety researcher, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~28%, US ~23%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.