Reverse-engineer the salary you need. Enter any expense (rent, mortgage, car, lifestyle) and find the income to afford it. Free 2026 calculator.
Use the 28/36 rule. For a $500K home with 20% down ($100K), the loan is $400K. At 6.5% 30-year fixed, monthly P&I is $2,528. Add $400/mo taxes/insurance = $2,928. That's 28% of gross, so you need $10,457/mo gross = $125,500/yr. After 25% effective tax, take-home is $94,000, leaving $1,300/mo for everything else.