Madison vs Austin: where does a game designer save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $3,258/mo after taxes and living costs.
Madison US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $91,798 | $95,576 |
| Take-home / mo | $5,548 | $6,168 |
| Income tax | ~27% | ~23% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,860 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $2,688 | $3,258 |
| Savings rate | 48% | 53% |
| 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 game designer, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~27%, US ~23%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.