Jobs, pay and daily life in Austin, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Austin is a city in Texas with 979,539 residents. The median household earns $93,658 a year and the median rent is $1,729 a month, which is 22.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,293,690 jobs.
How Austin compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, Austin is #4 by population, #5 for remote work (#1 = most), #111 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #13 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Travis County, is #5 of 254 counties for average pay ($96,267).
Austin has 979,539 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.2% of the population of Texas. It covers 326 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,001 people per square mile. The median age is 34.7, about the same as the state median (34.7 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $1,729 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% above the state median ($1,729 against $1,403). Over a year that is 22.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $555,300, which is 5.9 times the median household income ($93,658); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 43.5% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (43.5% against 62.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area has 1,293,690 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $56,950 a year, 12% above the national median ($56,950 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (159,340 jobs, median $47,770); management (133,950 jobs, median $129,060); food preparation and serving related (120,570 jobs, median $33,280). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.9 times) and architecture and engineering (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($129,060) and computer and mathematical ($114,350). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Travis County was 3.6%. 75.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Travis County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 56.0% drive alone, 2.0% use public transit, 2.5% walk, 30.7% work from home. 10.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (10.2% against 16.9%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
59.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 76% above the state share (59.6% against 33.8%). 18.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 7% above the state share (18.7% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 12.0%, 13% below the state rate (12.0% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 86°F (30.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 49°F (9.3°C). About 841 mm (33 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (111 mm) and Feb the driest (45 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Pflugerville (14 miles, rent 12% higher); Cedar Park (15 miles, rent 7% higher); Round Rock (17 miles, similar rent); Leander (20 miles, rent 12% higher). Rent differences are against Austin; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideTravis CountyTexas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,539 federal postings open in Texas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 42,190 | 1.45 | $117,850 | $48,890 | $296,440 | +11% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 35,000 | 1.09 | $29,310 | $22,480 | $36,880 | -6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 32,690 | 1.51 | $43,720 | $30,520 | $61,610 | -2% |
| Software Developers | 31,960 | 2.28 | $134,120 | $96,110 | $209,890 | -1% |
| Retail Salespersons | 29,660 | 0.91 | $33,860 | $25,380 | $46,100 | -4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 27,430 | 1.16 | $37,720 | $30,090 | $47,280 | +1% |
| Cashiers | 20,490 | 0.80 | $33,940 | $24,640 | $43,480 | +3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 19,170 | 1.01 | $27,260 | $18,100 | $57,750 | -23% |
| Registered Nurses | 18,920 | 0.67 | $97,890 | $73,440 | $127,510 | +0% |
| Project Management Specialists | 17,470 | 1.97 | $102,390 | $63,300 | $169,050 | +0% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 17,400 | 1.46 | $76,240 | $48,090 | $111,490 | +10% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 16,700 | 1.60 | $62,900 | $36,010 | $134,830 | -10% |
| Office Clerks, General | 16,400 | 0.80 | $44,870 | $28,140 | $63,300 | -0% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 15,470 | 0.84 | $36,930 | $25,970 | $48,250 | +0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 13,900 | 0.57 | $38,530 | $30,040 | $51,030 | -4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 13,870 | 0.98 | $48,470 | $32,930 | $64,650 | +2% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 13,000 | 1.11 | $36,810 | $27,540 | $44,490 | -2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 12,490 | 0.35 | $28,370 | $22,880 | $36,910 | -21% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 12,480 | 1.03 | $83,120 | $57,660 | $130,130 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 12,430 | 0.98 | $48,730 | $35,290 | $74,380 | -2% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 950 | 0.56 | $288,150 | $126,800 | $647,020 | +35% |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,550 | 0.54 | $276,600 | $118,520 | $483,640 | +4% |
| Dentists, General | 820 | 0.79 | $188,190 | $129,650 | $337,660 | +10% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 11,050 | 1.98 | $176,990 | $115,580 | $291,790 | +1% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,130 | 1.71 | $176,540 | $123,440 | $288,330 | +3% |
| Financial Managers | 7,210 | 1.03 | $167,180 | $100,630 | $318,720 | +0% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 3,850 | 6.03 | $165,530 | $103,080 | $254,180 | +2% |
| Marketing Managers | 7,170 | 2.18 | $164,920 | $92,150 | $274,700 | -1% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 1,960 | 2.43 | $162,960 | $95,330 | $210,740 | +25% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | 710 | 3.53 | $153,990 | $137,410 | $167,990 | +0% |
| Lawyers | 7,540 | 1.20 | $153,330 | $83,990 | $361,090 | -4% |
| Sales Managers | 9,880 | 1.86 | $151,760 | $74,990 | $290,670 | +2% |
| Pharmacists | 1,800 | 0.67 | $151,290 | $90,810 | $172,490 | +7% |
| Electrical Engineers | 4,070 | 2.46 | $145,360 | $81,960 | $212,900 | +21% |
| Purchasing Managers | 930 | 1.32 | $140,820 | $95,020 | $225,340 | -5% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,730 | 1.49 | $140,670 | $85,840 | $254,960 | -6% |
| Database Architects | 1,110 | 1.98 | $139,960 | $100,690 | $214,250 | +0% |
| Sales Engineers | 1,230 | 2.86 | $137,960 | $78,550 | $216,770 | +10% |
| Physician Assistants | 680 | 0.50 | $134,550 | $111,830 | $170,450 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 31,960 | 2.28 | $134,120 | $96,110 | $209,890 | -1% |
These figures are for the whole Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $56,950 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 23.1% |
| Education and health care | 18.7% |
| Retail trade | 9.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.6% |
| Manufacturing | 7.5% |
| Construction | 5.8% |
| Public administration | 5.4% |
| Other services | 4.3% |
| Information | 3.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Austin lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Bastrop County, Hays County, Williamson County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County | 1,330,015 | $202,653 million | $152,369 | 903,333 | 51,913 | $96,267 | -0.1% | 3.6% | 879,546 |
| Bastrop County | 106,582 | $4,320 million | $40,528 | 22,593 | 1,830 | $54,112 | +4.6% | 3.7% | 58,703 |
| Hays County | 268,638 | $15,303 million | $56,967 | 95,598 | 6,330 | $54,838 | +5.5% | 3.7% | 170,553 |
| Williamson County | 672,688 | $44,610 million | $66,316 | 232,299 | 15,692 | $80,330 | +4.0% | 3.7% | 436,738 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 123,500 | 16.2% | $159,169 | 1.97 |
| Health care and social assistance | 94,171 | 12.3% | $73,775 | 0.73 |
| Accommodation and food services | 86,296 | 11.3% | $35,253 | 1.05 |
| Retail trade | 68,392 | 9.0% | $51,940 | 0.76 |
| Administrative and waste services | 66,250 | 8.7% | $69,580 | 1.25 |
| Construction | 51,526 | 6.7% | $92,048 | 1.09 |
| Manufacturing | 49,092 | 6.4% | $135,783 | 0.66 |
| Finance and insurance | 38,191 | 5.0% | $158,466 | 1.04 |
| Information | 38,028 | 5.0% | $175,158 | 2.25 |
| Wholesale trade | 31,403 | 4.1% | $137,600 | 0.88 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 28,692 | 3.8% | $64,682 | 1.05 |
| Real estate and rental | 19,671 | 2.6% | $83,958 | 1.40 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 18,821 | 2.5% | $64,107 | 0.49 |
| Educational services | 17,436 | 2.3% | $60,826 | 0.93 |
| Management of companies | 14,975 | 2.0% | $181,936 | 0.98 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 13,432 | 1.8% | $45,938 | 0.88 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 1,946 | 0.3% | $176,224 | 0.57 |
| Utilities | 1,280 | 0.2% | $127,471 | 0.37 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 648 | 0.1% | $122,686 | 0.09 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 56.0% |
| Public transit | 2.0% |
| Walk | 2.5% |
| Work from home | 30.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,658 |
| Income per person | $62,862 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,729 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.2% |
| Median home value | $555,300 |
| Homeowners | 43.5% |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 98.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $56,950 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 59.6% |
| Born abroad | 18.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 75.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.3 | 49 | 58 |
| Feb | 11.4 | 53 | 45 |
| Mar | 15.9 | 61 | 73 |
| Apr | 20.2 | 68 | 63 |
| May | 24.3 | 76 | 111 |
| Jun | 28.2 | 83 | 78 |
| Jul | 29.5 | 85 | 60 |
| Aug | 30.1 | 86 | 63 |
| Sep | 26.3 | 79 | 87 |
| Oct | 21.0 | 70 | 95 |
| Nov | 15.1 | 59 | 59 |
| Dec | 10.4 | 51 | 49 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pflugerville | TX | 14 mi | 65,971 | $117,799 | $1,932 |
| Cedar Park | TX | 15 mi | 78,301 | $129,545 | $1,846 |
| Round Rock | TX | 17 mi | 127,786 | $99,287 | $1,763 |
| Leander | TX | 20 mi | 74,067 | $139,048 | $1,939 |
| Hutto | TX | 21 mi | 35,483 | $118,834 | $2,255 |
| Kyle | TX | 22 mi | 56,823 | $90,323 | $1,752 |
| Georgetown | TX | 26 mi | 85,999 | $95,062 | $1,795 |
| San Marcos | TX | 31 mi | 70,897 | $51,281 | $1,322 |
| Canyon Lake | TX | 42 mi | 33,883 | $97,301 | $1,327 |
| New Braunfels | TX | 47 mi | 104,643 | $86,021 | $1,654 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
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Large employers headquartered in Austin (from our list of the 200 largest US-based employers):
979,539 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,729 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.2% of the median household income.
$93,658 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Travis County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.