Free Relocation Calculator

My sister got a job offer in San Francisco that paid $15,000 more than her Chicago salary. Sounded great until she ran the numbers. After California state tax and higher housing costs, she'd actually have less money left over. That's exactly what this calculator prevents. It tells you the salary you'd need in a new state to match your current take-home pay.

How it works: first we calculate your current take-home after federal tax, FICA, and your state's income tax. Then we figure out what gross salary in the target state would give you the same net pay, accounting for that state's tax rates and deductions.

Let's look at a real example. $100,000 in Texas (0% state tax) gets you roughly $79,000 take-home. To end up with the same $79,000 in California, you'd need to earn about $120,000–$125,000. California's progressive income tax eats an extra $5,000–$8,000 that Texas doesn't touch. That's a car payment, a vacation, or a decent chunk of retirement savings — just gone to state tax.

This tool focuses on income tax differences. But look, income tax isn't the whole story:
- Property taxes: Texas is brutal (~1.71%), California is surprisingly mild (~0.71%)
- Sales taxes vary significantly by state and city
- Housing costs are the big one — $1,500/month in Houston can be $3,000 in San Francisco
Check our state comparison pages for the full picture.