SalaryScope Index™ · Free tool · 2026
Relocation Salary Simulator
Should you move cities for a higher salary? See the real after-tax, cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power — not just the gross number.
1
Current City
$
CoL Index: 187 (US=100)State tax: 6.9%
2
Target City
$
CoL Index: 128 (US=100)State tax: None
Lifestyle Assumptions(used for SalaryScope Index™)
The SalaryScope Index™ rewards cities with better work-life balance and lower costs. A higher index = more real value per hour worked.
✈️
Austin gives you 43.6% more purchasing power
Even though Austin costs more, the salary offer and lower state taxesmake the real value higher after adjustments.
New York, NY
Gross salary$120,000
Net take-home$84,553
Tax burden29.5%
CoL index187
SalaryScope Index™226.08
BETTER VALUE
Austin, TX
Gross salary$106,230
Net take-home$83,119
Tax burden21.8%
CoL index128
SalaryScope Index™324.68
Full Comparison
Net Annual Take-Home
New York, NY$84,553
Austin, TX$83,119
Purchasing Power (CoL-adjusted)
New York real value$45,216 equiv.
Austin real value$64,937 equiv.
Monthly Net Pay
New York/month$7,046
Austin/month$6,927
SalaryScope Index™ (higher = better value per hour worked)
New York index226.08
Austin index324.68
How this works: Net pay calculated using 2026 US federal tax brackets + standard deduction ($15,000 single) + FICA (6.2% SS + 1.45% Medicare) + state income tax flat rate. Cost of Living indices sourced from the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER). SalaryScope Index™ = (Net Salary × 20 vacation days) ÷ (CoL Index × 40 weekly hours) × 100. Higher = more financial value per hour worked.