San Diego vs Austin: where does a air traffic controller save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $5,861/mo after taxes and living costs.
San Diego US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $150,898 | $144,500 |
| Take-home / mo | $8,026 | $8,771 |
| Income tax | ~36% | ~27% |
| Living costs / mo | $3,580 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $4,446 | $5,861 |
| Savings rate | 55% | 67% |
| 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 air traffic controller, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~36%, US ~27%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.