Network Engineer.
Austin.
$131,000
median salary, 1% above the national average
$103,000 to $166,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Network Engineer salary in Austin is $131,000, 1% above the national average. Entry level starts near $103,000. Experienced professionals push past $166,000. 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 Network Engineer 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 $133,710 for Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241) in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, based on 1,700 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,920
25th percentile
$103,310
Median
$133,710
75th percentile
$166,740
90th percentile
$188,670
Workers surveyed
1,700
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241) rather than Network Engineer 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 15-1241Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $118,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$85,000
to $105,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$111,000
to $138,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$144,000
to $170,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$164,000
to $203,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $31,000 to the total package.
Base
$131,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $162,000
How Austin compares.
Austin, TX
$131,000
Cost of living: 3% above average
National Average
$130,000
Austin is $1,000 above
Network Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Austin.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Network Engineer 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. CCIE certification remains the single largest salary differentiator, adding 20 to 30% to base pay. Engineers managing SD-WAN rollouts, hybrid cloud networking, or large-scale data center fabrics command premium rates. Telecom and financial services sectors consistently offer the highest compensation for network specialists.
Help desk and NOC technicians start at $50,000 to $65,000, advancing to network engineer at $78,000 to $135,000 in three to five years. Senior network architects earn $140,000 to $180,000, and director of network engineering roles reach $185,000 to $240,000. 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. Bonuses of 8 to 15% are standard, with on-call stipends adding $5,000 to $12,000 annually. Employers frequently cover CCIE lab fees and ongoing Cisco or Juniper certification renewals as part of retention packages. 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 $131,000, 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 Network Engineers in Austin runs from $103,000 to $166,000. 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?
- An AI Engineer in Austin earns $132,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Austin is CTO at $318,000
Common questions.
Network Engineer salary in other cities.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Network Engineer Salary in Austin, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/network-engineer/austin
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