Sacramento vs Austin: where does a surgeon save more?
Best for saving: Austin — about $22,777/mo after taxes and living costs.
Sacramento US | Austin US ★ Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $492,779 | $487,767 |
| Take-home / mo | $22,428 | $25,687 |
| Income tax | ~45% | ~37% |
| Living costs / mo | $3,300 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $19,128 | $22,777 |
| Savings rate | 85% | 89% |
| 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 surgeon, adjusted per city.
• Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. US ~45%, US ~37%).
• Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.