San Jose vs Austin: where does a materials scientist save more?
Best for saving: San Jose — about $3,756/mo after taxes and living costs.
San Jose US ★ Best for saving | Austin US | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $152,526 | $102,706 |
| Take-home / mo | $8,096 | $6,567 |
| Income tax | ~36% | ~23% |
| Living costs / mo | $4,340 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $3,756 | $3,657 |
| Savings rate | 46% | 56% |
| 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 materials scientist, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~36%, US ~23%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.