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Software Developer Salary Comparison

Side-by-side evaluation of salaries, local taxes, monthly expenses, and real purchasing power

✓ Real-time Comparison
🔍 Change Comparison Cities
City 1:
VS
City 2:

💡 Smart Analysis

Comparing Chicago and Austin: Average gross pay is 4% higher in Austin. Cost of living is 5% cheaper in Austin. With higher take-home and lower expenses, Austin is a more financially comfortable place to live with an affordability score of 6.8/10 compared to 6.5/10.

Category Comparison
🇺🇸
Chicago
🇺🇸
Austin

💰 Gross Salaries & Ranges

Average Gross Salary (Annual)
The primary average salary across experience ranges
$115,000/yr
$120,000/yr
HIGHER
Junior Developer Pay
$68,000
$70,000
Mid-Level Developer Pay
$100,000
$105,000
Senior Developer Pay
$148,000
$155,000
Lead / Architect Pay
$185,000
$190,000

🏠 Monthly Cost of Living

Rent — City Center (1 Bed)
$1,900
$1,800
Rent — Suburbs (1 Bed)
$1,200
$1,200
Groceries (Monthly)
$500
$480
Public Transport Pass
$105
$60
Utilities (Electricity, Internet)
$240
$220
Estimated Cost of Living
Rent center, groceries, transport plans & hobbies included
$4,023/mo
$3,838/mo
CHEAPER

🧾 Tax rates & Take-home

Average Income Tax Rate
25%
0%
Social Security Deduction
8%
8%
Monthly Take-home (After Tax)
Estimated direct net monthly deposit based on mid-level pay
$5,583/mo
$7,525/mo

📊 Affordability & Savings

Affordability Index
Score out of 10 comparing local net pay to costs
6.5
6.8
MORE AFFORDABLE
Monthly Savings Potential
Money left over after all standard cost of living expenses
$1,560/mo
$3,687/mo
Months to Save $10,000
~7 months
~3 months
🇺🇸 Complete Chicago Breakdown & Charts → 🇺🇸 Complete Austin Breakdown & Charts →