Atlanta vs Austin: where does a quality engineer save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $3,112/mo after taxes and living costs.
Atlanta US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $86,185 | $93,010 |
| Take-home / mo | $5,244 | $6,022 |
| Income tax | ~27% | ~22% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,940 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $2,304 | $3,112 |
| Savings rate | 44% | 52% |
| 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 quality engineer, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~27%, US ~22%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.