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