Salary report · Austin, TX

What is the average Software Engineer salary in Austin, TX?

Software Engineers in Austin earn a median of $148,100 per year — about 12% above the national average. Pay ranges from $106,600 (25th percentile) to $229,600 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$106,600
Median
$148,100
75th percentile
$189,600
90th percentile
$229,600
YoY change
+3.9%

Software Engineer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$96,300
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$148,100
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$189,600
Lead · 8+ yrs
$214,700

How Austin pay compares

Austin median$148,100
National median$132,270
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 119)$124,500

Cost-of-living adjusted is the Austin salary translated into equivalent purchasing power vs the US average (COL index 100). Useful for comparing offers across cities.

5-year salary trend

$127K
2022
$132K
2023
$137K
2024
$143K
2025
$148K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 3.9%.

Software Engineer job market in Austin

Austin has become a major tech hub with offices for Apple, Google, Tesla and many startups. No state income tax; housing has gotten expensive.

An estimated 8,500 software engineers work in the Austin metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:

  • Write and review code
  • Design system architecture
  • Debug production issues
  • Collaborate with product and design
  • Run code reviews

Related job salaries in Austin

Software Engineer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a Software Engineer make in Austin, TX?+

Software Engineers in Austin earn a median of $148,100 per year — about 12% above the national average of $132,270.

What's the entry-level Software Engineer salary in Austin?+

Entry-level Software Engineers in Austin typically earn around $96,300 per year. Salaries scale to about $214,700 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $148,100 a good Software Engineer salary in Austin?+

$148,100 is the median, meaning half of Software Engineers in Austin earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 119, that's roughly $124,500 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is Software Engineer pay growing in Austin?+

Software Engineer salaries in Austin grew about 3.9% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +25%.

Where do Software Engineers in Austin get paid the most?+

The 90th percentile Software Engineer salary in Austin is around $229,600. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in Austin?

Run a free comparison against BLS data — see if your salary is below, at, or above the Austin median.

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