Austin has emerged as the best-value city for UX designers in the United States. The combination of competitive base salaries ($112K median), no Texas state income tax, moderate cost of living, and a booming tech scene makes it the top destination for designers relocating from coastal markets. Hardware-led big-tech, employment platform UX, broad-equity big-tech satellite offices, and a thriving startup ecosystem anchor the employer base. The city's culture, food scene, and outdoor recreation add quality-of-life factors that salary data alone does not capture.
Median base
$112,000
25th-75th range
$100K-$125K
Average total comp
$130,000
vs national
+4% above
Sector pay bands
Pay ranges by industry sector and employer category for mid-to-senior UX, product, and interaction designers in this metro. Sector ranges are aggregated rather than per-employer to avoid misleading single-data-point comparisons.
| Sector / employer category | Mid-to-senior pay range |
|---|---|
| Hardware-led big-tech (high-base, low-equity tier) | $130K - $215K total comp |
| Big-tech broad-equity satellite offices | $140K - $260K total comp |
| Employment / job-platform UX | $105K - $155K |
| Enterprise software headquarters | $95K - $135K |
| Funded Texas startup ecosystem | $85K - $130K + equity |
| Travel and hospitality platforms | $100K - $140K |
| Web and CMS-platform companies | $95K - $135K |
| Test and instrumentation software | $90K - $130K |
Cost of living
Austin's COL is 1.19x national, very affordable compared to coastal tech cities. Housing has risen sharply since 2020 but remains 35-40% below San Francisco levels. Texas has no state income tax, adding $5K-$10K to effective take-home pay on a $100K+ salary. A $112K Austin salary has purchasing power equivalent to roughly $94K nationally, exceeding San Francisco's COL-adjusted $77K despite a $28K raw salary gap.
Local community
Local meetups, conferences, schools, and creative spaces that anchor the Austin design scene.
Austin FAQ