City comparison
Austin, TX vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 3.6% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $103,600 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Pittsburgh, PA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.6% moving from Austin, TX to Pittsburgh, PA ($109,428 → $110,047), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,538 in Pittsburgh | $103,586 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
80 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Austin → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $63,815 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $77,211 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $92,543 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $110,047 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $130,042 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $76,550 | $79,295 (+29.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $124,500 | $128,965 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $76,940 | $79,699 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $82,370 | $85,324 (−12.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.