City comparison
Austin, TX vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 12.6% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $112,600 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.6% moving from Austin, TX to San Jose, CA ($109,428 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.0% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,601 in San Jose | $88,809 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | San Jose, CA | Real change, Austin → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $77,161 | +8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $93,358 | +8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $111,896 | +8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $133,060 | +8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $157,236 | +8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $176,120 | $156,411 (+16.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $213,110 | $189,262 (+41.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $121,700 | $108,081 (+30.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $216,740 | $192,485 (+96.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.