What salary do you need to live in Austin, TX?
For a single person: about $60,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose TX-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,095 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and no state income tax (Texas doesn't have one).
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Austin worker earns about $56,950/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — above the $49,500 a single person needs to cover local essentials — a typical local job here can carry the cost of living.
Single person — est. essentials $3,505/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,505/mo
$49,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,206/mo
$60,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,258/mo
$77,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,744/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,744/mo
$65,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,693/mo
$79,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,116/mo
$101,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $5,878/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,878/mo
$82,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,054/mo
$100,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,817/mo
$126,500/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,851/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,851/mo
$97,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,221/mo
$117,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,277/mo
$151,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,095) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Texas's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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