San Francisco vs Austin: where does a paralegal save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $1,378/mo after taxes and living costs.
San Francisco US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $86,415 | $63,070 |
| Take-home / mo | $5,039 | $4,288 |
| Income tax | ~30% | ~18% |
| Living costs / mo | $4,400 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $639 | $1,378 |
| Savings rate | 13% | 32% |
| Verdict | Okay | Comfortable |
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 paralegal, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~30%, US ~18%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.