CEO.
Austin.
$289,000
median salary, 5% above the national average
$210,000 to $399,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
The median CEO salary in Austin is $289,000, 5% above the national average. Entry level starts near $210,000. Experienced professionals push past $399,000. Austin has transformed into one of America's fastest growing tech hubs, attracting relocations from Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and Samsung. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for CEO in Austin, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $288,150 for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, based on 950 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$126,800
25th percentile
$174,990
Median
$288,150
75th percentile
$407,210
90th percentile
$647,020
Workers surveyed
950
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) rather than CEO specifically. The Austin range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 11-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $260,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$188,000
to $231,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$246,000
to $303,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$318,000
to $376,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$361,000
to $448,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $72,000 to the total package.
Base
$289,000
Equity
$40,000
Bonus
$26,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $361,000
How Austin compares.
Austin, TX
$289,000
Cost of living: 3% above average
National Average
$275,000
Austin is $14,000 above
CEO salary by city.
Salary by role in Austin.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for CEO roles in Austin, here is what you are walking into. Austin has transformed into one of America's fastest growing tech hubs, attracting relocations from Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and Samsung. The city's combination of no state income tax, a vibrant startup scene, and a strong university pipeline makes it highly competitive. Salaries have risen sharply over the past five years, narrowing the gap with coastal cities. Company stage, revenue scale, and industry sector are the primary salary determinants. Public company CEOs and those at venture-backed late-stage startups command the highest base salaries. Geographic market and board composition also influence base pay, with coastal tech hubs offering the strongest packages.
VP-level leaders earn $180,000 to $250,000 before moving into C-suite. First-time CEOs at early-stage startups may take $120,000 to $200,000 with heavy equity. CEOs at mid-market companies earn $275,000 to $500,000. Large enterprise CEOs exceed $500,000 in base alone. In Austin, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Base salary often represents just 15 to 30% of total CEO compensation. Equity grants, performance bonuses tied to revenue or EBITDA targets, and long-term incentive plans can bring total compensation to $1 million to $10 million or more at scale companies. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, which can mean 5 to 10% more take home pay compared to California roles. Property taxes are above average, however, running about 1.8% of home value. When someone quotes you $289,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the no income tax advantage as a negotiation lever. Ask employers to match 90% of a Bay Area offer and show that your net pay will actually be higher. The range for CEOs in Austin runs from $210,000 to $399,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A General Counsel in Austin earns $288,000 (0% more)
- The highest-paying role in Austin is CTO at $318,000
Common questions.
CEO salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Austin.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to CEOs in Austin.
Related tools.
Do you work as a ceo in Austin?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"CEO Salary in Austin, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ceo/austin
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools