How Austin take-home pay works
Your Austin take-home pay is your gross salary minus federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%). The calculator subtracts each in order and divides by your pay frequency to show net pay per paycheck.
Take-home = Gross − Federal − FICA (7.65%)
Population: 1,002,632 city / 2,620,945 metro (Census estimates for July 2025). Austin is one of the largest US cities and has unique tax rules described below.
Texas state income tax
Texas has no state income tax, one of nine US states with no personal income tax.
For full Texas state tax details, deductions, and exemptions, see the Texas Paycheck Calculator.
Take-home pay at common Austin salaries
Estimated annual net pay for a single filer in Austin, including federal + state taxes and FICA. Use the calculator above for personalized figures.
| Gross | Annual Net | Bi-weekly | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | |||
Income vs cost of living in Austin
Understanding your paycheck in Austin means looking beyond the gross number, the cost of living here directly determines what your take-home pay actually buys.
| Median household income | $90,430/year |
| Median earnings, people with earnings | $60,226/year |
| Price level, metro area (BEA 2024) | 98.1 (U.S. = 100) |
| Median rent, 1 bedroom | $1,593/month |
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,899/month |
Income and rent: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates for the city of Austin. Rent is median gross rent, rent plus utilities, across all renters, long-standing and rent-regulated leases included, so a new lease usually costs more. Price level: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area.
Tax highlight
Austin tech workers are among the biggest winners from Texas's no-income-tax rule. Apple, Google, Meta, and Tesla all employ engineers in Austin. A single filer earning $150,000 keeps about $11,655 a year more in Austin than a Silicon Valley peer on the same salary (California's top rate is 13.3%), though Austin's rising housing costs have offset some of this advantage.
Austin local economy & job market
Austin transformed from a college-and-government town into a major US tech hub between 2010 and 2024. Apple has a large campus in North Austin. Tesla's Gigafactory Texas (Austin metro, opened 2022) is a major vehicle-manufacturing employer. Oracle relocated its global HQ from Redwood City, CA to Austin in 2020. Google, Meta, Amazon, and Indeed have substantial Austin offices. SXSW and Austin City Limits anchor a creative-technology fusion that draws talent. The University of Texas at Austin (UT) feeds the pipeline with 50,000+ students and one of the top US engineering schools. State government (Austin is the Texas capital) provides stable employment for many state workers. Texas's no-income-tax policy plus Austin's tech-hub vibe attracted enormous in-migration through 2022; the boom has cooled since 2023 as tech layoffs (especially Tesla, Meta, Amazon) hit Austin hard, but underlying demand remains strong. The metro's population grew 15% from April 2020 to July 2025 (Census estimates), the fastest of the metro areas this site covers.
Top employers & industries in Austin
Major employers
- Apple
- Dell Technologies
- Tesla
- University of Texas at Austin
Key industries
- Technology
- Government
- Education
- Clean Energy & EVs
What jobs pay in the Austin area
Annual wages across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). Half of the workers in each job earn between the two figures in the middle column. Bonuses paid as wages are included; stock awards and self-employment are not.
| Occupation | Middle half earns | Median |
|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $38,230 – $90,560 | $56,950 |
| Registered Nurses | $81,540 – $106,450 | $97,890 |
| Software Developers | $104,000 – $168,730 | $134,120 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $68,250 – $103,820 | $83,120 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,430 – $61,930 | $61,270 |
| Electricians | $47,780 – $73,310 | $60,390 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $47,250 – $64,120 | $57,110 |
| Retail Salespersons | $28,670 – $38,310 | $33,860 |
| Data Scientists | $85,780 – $161,560 | $127,360 |
| Industrial Engineers | $82,300 – $134,360 | $103,610 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for the whole metro area. Use the calculator above for take-home pay at any of these salaries.
Austin housing market
Austin's housing market boomed and then corrected: FHFA's house price index for the metro area rose 69% from 2019 to 2022, then fell 11% from 2022 to 2026. The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city was $571,000 in 2024, as owners estimate it (Census Bureau). The pandemic-era influx of California tech workers (Apple, Tesla, Oracle relocations) drove demand far ahead of supply. New construction has accelerated, and prices have stabilized. Suburbs remain more affordable, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Buda/Kyle. Westlake Hills, Tarrytown, and Rollingwood are luxury enclaves where homes cost far above the city median. Property taxes are high: the median property tax bill in the city is $7,468, about 1.3% of the median home value (Census Bureau, 2024); at that median ratio a $700,000 home pays about $9,155 a year. Rent has softened as new apartment supply outpaced demand, giving renters more leverage than they've had in years; the city's rental vacancy rate was 5.9% in 2024 (Census).
Commute & transportation in Austin
Austin has struggled with traffic as its population boomed: the metro grew 15% from April 2020 to July 2025 (Census estimates). I-35 is consistently ranked among the worst urban highways in the US. CapMetro operates buses and MetroRail, but coverage is limited. The city is investing heavily in Project Connect (new light rail lines). Many tech workers commute from Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville. Remote work has eased but not solved the congestion.
Notable neighborhoods in Austin
Austin tax nuances you should know
Austin tech workers earning $200,000-$400,000 see massive savings vs Bay Area peers, California's top rate is 13.3%, which already includes its Mental Health Services Tax. An Austin engineer earning $250,000 as a single filer keeps about $22,255 more annually than in the same role in San Jose. However, Austin property tax is high: the median property tax bill in the city is $7,468, about 1.3% of the median home value (Census Bureau, 2024), so at that median ratio a $700,000 home pays about $9,155 a year. The Texas school-district homestead exemption, now $140,000, helps somewhat. For tech workers with RSUs vesting, Texas's no-income-tax means stock-based compensation gets the full federal-only treatment (no state tax on the vesting gain). Tesla, Apple and Oracle's moves and expansions brought many California transplants who often discover Austin's property tax + sales tax + housing cost shifts most of (but not all of) the income tax savings.
Austin paycheck & tax tips
- Maximize pre-tax deductions: 401(k) contributions (up to $24,500 in 2026), HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family), FSA ($3,400) and commuter benefits (up to $340/month) all reduce your taxable income before federal income tax is calculated.
- Check your W-4 withholding: After major life changes (marriage, a new dependent, second job), update your W-4 to avoid owing a large tax bill or over-withholding. Use our W-4 Calculator to find the right allowances.
- Pay frequency matters: Bi-weekly earners get 26 paychecks per year (2 months with 3 paychecks). Budget based on monthly income, not per-paycheck amount, to avoid surprises in 3-paycheck months.
- Track FICA limits: Social Security (6.2%) only applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026. Once you cross that threshold, your paycheck increases by roughly 6.2% for the rest of the year, plan ahead if you depend on that boost.
- Self-employed in Austin? You owe the full 15.3% self-employment tax (employee + employer FICA portions) instead of 7.65%. The calculator above shows employee-side FICA, self-employed workers should add the employer half when budgeting.
Who should move to Austin?
Austin is the right move for: tech workers, especially those at Tesla, Apple, Oracle, Indeed, or with remote roles at Bay Area companies who want Texas's tax savings; high-income tech earners ($150K+) where the tax savings outweigh higher Austin housing; entrepreneurs and startup founders attracted to the venture ecosystem; UT graduates who want to stay in Texas; and creative professionals (music, film) drawn to SXSW/ACL culture. Less ideal for: middle-income workers earning under $80K, Austin's housing costs may negate the tax benefits; those who prefer cooler climates (long, very hot summers); or anyone needing significant public transit (CapMetro is improving but limited). The recent tech layoffs and rent softening have made Austin more affordable than 2022, but the underlying tech-hub fundamentals remain strong.
Austin paycheck frequently asked questions
How much does a tech worker take home in Austin on a $150,000 salary?
A single tech worker earning $150,000 in Austin takes home about $113,791 per year after federal income tax (24% marginal) and FICA. No state income tax applies. This compares to about $102,136 take-home in California on the same salary, meaning Austin tech workers keep about $11,655 more per year.
Has Austin become too expensive despite no income tax?
Not by the official measure. BEA's 2024 price level for the Austin metro is 98.1 (U.S. = 100), about the same as Houston's 98.6. Rents are the exception: 120.4 in Austin against 104.5 in Houston and 94.6 in San Antonio, so for many workers earning under $80,000 housing is the cost to watch. The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city was $571,000 in 2024, as owners estimate it (Census Bureau). High earners ($120K+) still come out significantly ahead versus California.
What is the average tech salary in Austin?
BLS figures for the Austin metro area (May 2025) put the median wage at $134,120 for software developers and $127,360 for data scientists. Companies like Apple (Beats campus), Tesla (Gigafactory), and Oracle (HQ relocated from CA) drive the high-paying job base. The University of Texas at Austin, which enrolls more than 50,000 students, feeds the local tech pipeline.