Which job actually pays off?

Important: This is a directional planning tool, not a tax return, payroll calculation or guaranteed local cost-of-living quote. Federal income tax uses 2026 single-filer standard deduction and brackets; FICA uses the 2026 Social Security cap and Medicare tax. State and municipal tax models are simplified estimates for the locations provided, and don't account for individual credits, special deductions, all local occupational taxes, non-resident work taxes, cross-state commuting, investment income, tax treaties, overtime/tip deductions, or alternative filing statuses. Assumes single W-2 employee, no dependents, US tax residency, age under 65, full-year employment. Traditional 401(k) and explicitly pre-tax health premiums reduce the modeled federal taxable income, while pre-tax health premiums also reduce payroll-tax wages. The healthcare spending input is additional out-of-pocket spending and should not duplicate the pre-tax premium. State deduction rules may differ. No employer match is assumed. Review with a tax professional before making a financial decision. Default monthly costs are hypothetical editable starter budgets for one adult living alone; not verified or representative city averages, not averages, market quotes or MIT published cost estimates. Shared housing, dependents, car ownership and neighborhoods can change results dramatically.

Official tax resources: IRS 2026 tax parameters · SSA payroll taxes · Tax Foundation state schedules. For NYC, the example is a FY2026 1-bedroom HUD metro FMR of $2,655, including most utilities, per NYCHA. For other rent benchmarks see HUD 2026 Fair Market Rents (not city average asking rents). For independent local expenses, check MIT Living Wage Calculator and current housing listings. Values are not automatically updated.