About Salary Survival
What Is Salary Survival?
Salary Survival is a free salary vs cost of living calculator designed for Americans who want to understand their real financial situation. We go beyond gross income to show you what actually matters: your take-home pay after taxes, your monthly expenses, and whether you can genuinely afford to live where you are.
How We Calculate
- 1. Gross Income: Your annual salary or hourly wage × 2,080 hours.
- 2. Federal Tax: Calculated using 2026 federal income tax brackets with standard deduction.
- 3. State Tax: Each state's income tax brackets are applied. States with no income tax show $0.
- 4. FICA: Social Security (6.2% up to $176,100) + Medicare (1.45%) + Additional Medicare (0.9% over $200k).
- 5. Expenses: Rent (state average for 1BR), groceries, transportation, utilities, healthcare, debt, and car payment.
- 6. Affordability Score: Based on savings rate (30%), rent-to-income ratio (20%), and debt-to-income ratio (20%).
Data Sources
- Federal tax brackets: IRS 2026 guidelines
- State tax brackets: State Department of Revenue publications
- Cost of living data: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and rental market reports
- Income percentiles: US Census Bureau Current Population Survey
Disclaimer
This tool is for informational purposes only.
Salary Survival provides estimates based on average data and standard tax calculations. Your actual take-home pay may differ based on specific deductions, credits, tax filing situation, and local costs. This is not financial advice. Please consult a qualified financial advisor or tax professional for personalized guidance.
Privacy Policy
Salary Survival runs entirely in your browser. No personal data is collected, stored, or transmitted to any server. All calculations happen client-side. We do not use cookies for tracking.