Sydney vs Austin: where does a ai safety researcher save more?
Best for saving: Sydney — about $3,081/mo after taxes and living costs.
Sydney Australia ★ Best for saving | Austin US | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $90,364 | $92,366 |
| Take-home / mo | $5,569 | $5,986 |
| Income tax | ~26% | ~22% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,488 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $3,081 | $3,076 |
| Savings rate | 55% | 51% |
| 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. Australia ~26%, US ~22%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.