Can a UX Researcher afford to live in Columbus?

Excellent56% of take-home left to save — you can save aggressively here.
Median salary (gross)
UX Researcher · Columbus
$96,010
Income tax (~26% effective)
United States
– $25,059
Take-home pay
$5,913/mo
$70,951
Living costs (1 person)
$2,580/mo · derived
– $30,960
Savings potential
$3,333/mo · 56% of take-home
$39,991

Single professional, after-tax. Salary − tax − living costs = what you could save each year.

Full salary breakdown →Is this a good salary in Columbus? →Compare Columbus with another city →

How we calculated this

• Salary: BLS OEWS 2025 metro-area survey median for UX Researcher, adjusted for Columbus.

• Tax: United States single-filer effective rate (~26%). Official calculator.

• Living costs: derived from cost-of-living index for a single professional.

Planning estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026. Your situation will differ.