Houston vs Austin: where does a climate scientist save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $3,936/mo after taxes and living costs.
Houston US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $96,978 | $107,778 |
| Take-home / mo | $6,247 | $6,846 |
| Income tax | ~23% | ~24% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,740 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $3,507 | $3,936 |
| Savings rate | 56% | 57% |
| 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 climate scientist, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~23%, US ~24%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.