Working in Austin

Prospective residents considering moving to Austin will be pleased to learn that this populous city has a booming economy and job opportunities in various fields. One of the major advantages of working in Austin is that there is no income tax at the state level, even though workers will still be required to pay federal taxes.

Job market in Austin

Austin was once the centre of Texas’s oil industry but is now more famous as a technology hub, so much so it has been dubbed ‘Silicon Hills’. The city’s job market has flourished over the last few years, with a low unemployment rate, many job prospects, and wage growth.

The most notable area of growth in Austin is said to be the tech sector. Apple started constructing its USD 1 billion corporate campus in 2019, which has contributed to job creation in the city.

As the Texan state capital, Austin has always had an abundance of government jobs. Education is another prominent employer in the city, with many private and public schools and an impressive selection of colleges and universities.

Both national and international corporations have seen the value in Austin and chose to locate headquarters and various operations in the city. Austin’s high quality of life, excellent talent pool and strong infrastructure have contributed to attracting business to the city. Newcomers to Austin with a background in technology, financial services, digital media, data management and healthcare will find plenty of exciting job prospects.

Along with these big corporations, Austin has become a popular place for startups. Tax incentives and schemes such as the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Enterprise Zone Programme, which allows companies to partner with state authorities to promote job creation, have nurtured new businesses in Austin.

Useful links

• The City of Austin Employment Services Centre

Work culture in Austin

Naturally, workplace culture differs from one company to the next. It is also somewhat dependent on the nature of the industry. On the whole, the work culture in Austin is fairly progressive.

One of the major reasons companies choose Austin as a destination for their regional offices is the quality of life the city offers its residents. By the same token, more of these companies now implement measures to improve the work-life balance of their employees, such as flexible working hours, job sharing, and working-from-home provisions.

Many smaller companies and startups don’t have formal office spaces but rather opt to use one of the many well-equipped coworking spaces in Austin. In fact, many people working in more creative industries see great benefits in utilising these spaces, as it allows their workers to collaborate with others in a similar field to foster productivity and new ideas.

The more well-established companies in Austin offer their employees competitive packages that include a range of benefits, such as wellness incentives, pensions, and health insurance contributions.

Business Culture in the USA