Sovereign

Tech

Data Scientist Salary · San Francisco vs Austin

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

San Francisco

$133,979

26.2% effective rate

Net pay

Austin

$116,892

25.3% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

+$17,088

San Francisco advantage

City

San Francisco

The epicenter of global technology, offering the highest base salaries adjusted for a fiercely competitive housing market.

Median professional income

$78,500

Role modeled

Data Scientist

Gross base

$181,500

Net after tax

$133,979

Cost-of-living index

96

Rent index

98

City

Austin

A rapidly expanding tech hub benefiting from Texas’s zero state income tax policy.

Median professional income

$78,500

Role modeled

Data Scientist

Gross base

$156,500

Net after tax

$116,892

Cost-of-living index

67

Rent index

56

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

San Francisco

$11,165

Housing$3,349
Essentials$2,233
Discretionary$2,791
Savings$2,791

Austin

$9,741

Housing$2,922
Essentials$1,948
Discretionary$2,435
Savings$2,435

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

Interlink into adjacent hubs to keep crawlers following the mesh.

Frequently asked

Who wins for Data Scientist net pay: San Francisco or Austin?+
San Francisco keeps about $17,088 more after tax (26.2% effective rate) compared to Austin (25.3%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
San Francisco posts a cost-of-living index of 96 and rent index of 98. Austin comes in at 67 / 56. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets Austin's taxes?+
You would need roughly $22,878 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in San Francisco.