San Jose vs Austin: where does a patent attorney save more?
Best for saving: San Jose — about $10,320/mo after taxes and living costs.
San Jose US ★ Best for saving | Austin US | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $305,342 | $208,541 |
| Take-home / mo | $14,660 | $11,952 |
| Income tax | ~42% | ~31% |
| Living costs / mo | $4,340 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $10,320 | $9,042 |
| Savings rate | 70% | 76% |
| 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 patent attorney, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~42%, US ~31%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.