$90,000 in Austin ≈ $101,927 in Seattle (+13.3% cost of living)
$101,927
Target salary in Seattle for the same standard of living.
Cost of living target · prices +13.3% vs Austin.
Cost & tax landscape
Housing drives most of this move’s price gap : The biggest everyday cost difference when moving from Austin to Seattle is housing & rent, which runs about 25.7% more expensive in Seattle.
Move metrics
How price levels, target salary, and state tax line up for Austin → Seattle.
| Metric | Austin | Seattle | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living index | 98.1 | 111.1 | +13.3% overall |
| Groceries & goods | 93.8 | 104.0 | +10.9% |
| Housing & rent | 120.4 | 151.3 | +25.7% |
| Everyday services | 96.2 | 106.8 | +11.0% |
| Base / COL target | $90,000 | $101,927 COL target | +$11,927 (+13.3%) |
| State income tax (single) | ~$0 | ~$0 | $0 |
| Tax parity target | $90,000 | $90,000 Tax match | $0 |
COL target is purchasing-power equivalence. Tax parity target matches after-state-tax dollars only, not cost of living. State tax is approximate single-filer.
Tax take-home
Two different questions. Don’t mix them with the cost-of-living headline above.
- Cost of living target
- $101,927
- Tax parity target
- $90,000
Gross needed in Seattle for the same purchasing power as your $90,000 in Austin, before taxes.
Gross needed in Seattle to keep the same after-tax dollar amount of about $90,000 (without accounting for the higher cost of living) .
On $90,000 in Austin, you keep about $90,000 after Texas tax. Matching that take-home under Washington tax is the tax parity target above (about the same gross) .
- Money in pocket (est.)
- $90,000
- TX state tax
- $0
- WA state tax on match
- $0
- Tax parity vs origin gross
- $0
Approximate single-filer state income tax only (Tax year 2026 (approximate single-filer schedules)). No federal tax, FICA, local city tax, or credits. Multi-state metros use the primary state code. Not tax advice.
Rate sources: Tax Foundation: State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets (2026); Federation of Tax Administrators: State Individual Income Taxes . Details in methodology and disclaimer.
Career & jobs
Local salary guide
only when local median ≥ your cost-of-living target ( $101,927). Below-target roles show no badge.
| Occupation | Seattle | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $167,280
Beats target
| +24.7% |
| Registered Nurses | $128,260
Beats target
| +31.0% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $101,920
Beats target
| +28.2% |
| General and Operations Managers | $146,030
Beats target
| +23.9% |
| Office Clerks, General | $53,290
Beats target
| +18.8% |
| Project Management Specialists | $130,380
Beats target
| +27.3% |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,370
Beats target
| +19.6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $71,240
Beats target
| +24.7% |
Local salary guide May 2025. Gaps over 50% omitted. Sorted by local jobs in field.
Find Software Developers jobs in Seattle
- Software Developers
- Registered Nurses
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other
- General and Operations Managers
- Office Clerks, General
- Project Management Specialists
- Accountants and Auditors
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Management Analysts
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Human Resources Specialists
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Construction Laborers
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Computer Occupations, All Other
- Medical Assistants
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents
- Lawyers
- Self-Enrichment Teachers
- Financial Managers
- Data Scientists
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
- Civil Engineers
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Managers, All Other
- Dental Assistants
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Marketing Managers
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- Sales Managers
- Compliance Officers
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Financial and Investment Analysts
- Insurance Sales Agents
- Coaches and Scouts
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance
- Training and Development Specialists
- Electrical Engineers
- Information Security Analysts
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Industrial Engineers
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Pharmacists
- Logisticians
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Cost Estimators
- Machinists
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
- Bus Drivers, School
- Public Relations Specialists
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- Social and Human Service Assistants
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Computer Network Architects
- Physicians, All Other
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- Dental Hygienists
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Industrial Production Managers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Human Resources Managers
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
- Loan Officers
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Physical Therapists
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Instructional Coordinators
- Medical Records Specialists
- Graphic Designers
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- Administrative Services Managers
- Engineers, All Other
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
- Chief Executives
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Occupational Therapists
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Physician Assistants
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Psychiatric Technicians
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Highway Maintenance Workers
Type to filter, e.g. Software, Accountant
$134,120 in Austin → $167,280 in Seattle (+24.7%)
See current openings for Software Developers in Seattle.
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Counter-offer letter
Turn your cost-of-living target into a one-click negotiation draft you can edit and send.
Template only. Not legal or career advice. Cite your own offer details before sending.
Target salary ladder in Seattle
| In Austin | In Seattle |
|---|---|
| $60,000 | $67,951 |
| $90,000 | $101,927 |
| $150,000 | $169,878 |
Target salary keeps the same standard of living.
FAQ
- What salary do I need in Seattle to match $90,000 in Austin?
- About $101,927, your target salary for the same standard of living, based on cost of living indexes of 98.1 and 111.1 (2024). Not financial advice.
- Why is Seattle more expensive than Austin?
- The biggest everyday cost difference when moving from Austin to Seattle is housing & rent, which runs about 25.7% more expensive in Seattle. Overall cost of living index is 98.1 in Austin vs 111.1 in Seattle (2024, US average = 100).
- How do published wages compare for a move from Austin to Seattle?
- Among jobs with published local salary medians in both metros (excluding gaps over 50%), Software Developers is among the highest-employment matches: $134,120 in Austin vs $167,280 in Seattle (+24.7%; about 92,770 local jobs in the field at the destination). The table below lists other high-employment occupations.
- How do state income taxes change take-home from Austin to Seattle?
- Two different targets: the cost of living target is about $101,927 (gross for the same purchasing power). Separately, the tax parity target is about $90,000, the gross you’d need in Seattle to keep the same after-tax dollars (~$90,000) you keep after Texas tax on $90,000 in Austin, without adjusting for cost of living. Approximate single-filer state schedules (Tax Foundation 2026). Not tax advice.
- What is not included in this comparison?
- Local city taxes, federal tax, FICA, childcare, healthcare premiums, leave benefits, and job openings are not modeled. Approximate state income tax take-home is shown separately where schedules are available. Use these figures as a starting point, not advice.
What this Austin → Seattle move covers
The biggest everyday cost difference when moving from Austin to Seattle is housing & rent, which runs about 25.7% more expensive in Seattle. Cost of living index 2024; local salary guide May 2025.
Includes
- Cost of living index for everyday expenses (housing, groceries & goods, services)
- Local salary guide: median pay, typical pay range, and jobs in the field where published
- Target salary math so you keep the same standard of living after a move
- Approximate single-filer state income tax take-home on compare pages (see rate sources on the page)
Does not include
- Local city taxes, credits, filing-status variants, or tax advice
- Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
- Job openings. “Local jobs in field” is how many people work in the role, not hiring demand
Technical source names (RPP, OEWS) and formulas live on the methodology page.
See methodology and disclaimer.