Austin vs San Francisco: where does a research scientist save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $3,114/mo after taxes and living costs.
Austin US ★ Best for saving | San Francisco US | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $93,039 | $116,069 |
| Take-home / mo | $6,024 | $6,470 |
| Income tax | ~22% | ~33% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,910 | $4,400 |
| Savings / mo | $3,114 | $2,070 |
| Savings rate | 52% | 32% |
| Verdict | Excellent | 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 research scientist, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~22%, US ~33%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.