Austin's unemployment rate sits below the national rate while jobs keep growing. Here is what that means for pay, sourcing and speed if you are hiring in the Austin metro.
Austin unemployment is 3.9%, below the U.S. rate of 4.2%, and close to the 3.8% of a year ago. Over the same stretch, nonfarm jobs grew +1.2%. More jobs and a flat jobless rate mean employers are competing for the same people, not drawing on a growing pool of idle workers.
The mix matters too. Professional and business services is the largest sector at 20.6% of nonfarm jobs, and Leisure and hospitality is growing fastest at +2.4%. Contact centers, sales teams, restaurants and hotels are all fishing in overlapping hourly talent pools.
Pay does not line up neatly with national benchmarks. Some roles pay below the U.S. median here and some pay well above it. The tables below break it down, and the sections that follow turn the numbers into recruiting steps you can act on this month.
With 1.57 million people in the labor force and 1.42 million nonfarm jobs, Austin is a large market, but unemployment of 3.9% sits below the national 4.2%. Expect candidates to have options and plan for fast follow-up.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $17.31 | $30.24 | $64.82 | 16,700 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $18.56 | $35.73 | $67.74 | 5,970 |
| Telemarketers | $14.07 | $23.89 | $25.28 | 270 |
| Customer service representatives | $14.67 | $21.02 | $29.62 | 32,690 |
| Retail salespersons | $12.20 | $16.28 | $22.17 | 29,660 |
| Cashiers | $11.84 | $16.32 | $20.90 | 20,490 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $14.44 | $18.53 | $24.53 | 13,900 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $10.81 | $14.09 | $17.73 | 35,000 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $12.49 | $17.75 | $23.20 | 15,470 |
| Sales managers | $36.05 | $72.96 | $139.74 | 9,880 |
Austin pay runs above the national median for some sales roles, such as telemarketers at $23.89 against $17.04, and below it for others, such as services sales representatives at $30.24 against $33.65. Benchmark each role locally instead of applying one national adjustment.
291,500 jobs · 20.6% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services holds 20.6% of jobs and grew +2.0%, so contact-center, sales and staffing roles face steady competition and reward employers who respond to applicants first.
213,400 jobs · 15.1% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Trade, transportation, and utilities accounts for 15.1% of jobs with slower growth of +0.5%, so warehouse, driver and retail hiring is more about churn replacement than expansion, which favors keeping a warm pipeline of past applicants.
170,400 jobs · 12.0% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Private education and health services makes up 12.0% of jobs and grew +0.6%, so caregiver and clinic roles need consistent, steady sourcing rather than one-off pushes.
156,000 jobs · 11.0% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality is the fastest-growing top sector at +2.4% and holds 11.0% of jobs, so restaurants and hotels should plan for frequent, high-volume hiring rounds.
93,400 jobs · 6.6% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Financial activities is smaller at 6.6% but grew +2.1%, so branch, claims and sales roles may need sharper outreach as more employers compete for the same customer-facing candidates.
Professional and business services leads at 20.6%, followed by Trade, transportation, and utilities at 15.1%. Leisure and hospitality and Financial activities are growing fastest, which puts extra pressure on hourly service and customer-facing roles.
Texas sets the minimum wage at $7.25, and state law limits Austin's ability to enforce local hiring-practice rules, which leaves the city's fair chance ordinance in uncertain standing. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your counsel before changing your process.
No statewide background checks requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Texas Legislature Online (reviewed) · checked October 15, 2026No statewide ban-the-box / fair chance requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Texas Legislature Online, H.B. 2127 (88th Legislature, enrolled) · checked October 15, 2026Texas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, adopted from the federal rate; the tipped cash wage is $2.13, and cities and counties may not regulate this field.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (State Minimum Wage Laws) · checked October 15, 2026Texas enforces reasonable non-competes ancillary to an enforceable agreement, with added limits for physicians, dentists, nurses and physician assistants from September 1, 2025 (one-year, five-mile and buyout rules).
Source: Texas Legislature Online, S.B. 1318 (89th Legislature, enrolled) · checked October 15, 2026No statewide pay transparency requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Source: Texas Workforce Commission (reviewed) · checked October 15, 2026Austin's Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance (effective April 4, 2016) limits when certain private employers may ask about criminal history, but Texas law now declares local hiring-practice rules void, so its enforceability is uncertain.
Texas Labor Code section 1.005 (HB 2127, 2023) bars Austin from adopting or enforcing local rules on employment leave, hiring practices, scheduling, benefits or other terms of employment that exceed state or federal law.
Full detail on the state rules is on the Texas hiring page.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting. For a deeper look at Texas's hiring-compliance laws, see our Texas hiring compliance guide.
Unemployment below the national rate means good hourly candidates are often weighing several offers. Send a text confirmation the moment someone applies and offer a screening slot in the same message. The first employer to book the interview often gets the hire.
Services sales representatives here earn from $17.31 to $64.82 an hour, a wide spread driven by commission and performance pay. Spell out the base, the realistic commission range and how quickly new reps ramp up. Vague 'uncapped earnings' language loses candidates who can compare offers easily.
Customer service representatives earn a median of $21.02 here, close to the U.S. median of $21.53, while fast food and counter workers earn $14.09 against a national $15.00. Telemarketers earn well above the national median. Check the wage table role by role before setting offers.
With Leisure and hospitality growing +2.4%, restaurants and hotels will run hiring rounds again and again. Save your screening questions, message templates and interview slots so each round starts from a working setup. Message and move candidates in groups instead of one at a time.
Slower-growing sectors like Trade, transportation, and utilities still lose people to turnover. Tag good candidates you did not hire and segment them by role and location. When a shift opens, text that group before posting a new ad.
Austin's mix of competitive hourly roles and high-volume service hiring rewards speed and repeatability. Conversational SMS & Automations let you reply to applicants by text from one inbox and trigger messages on status changes, so candidates hear back quickly. Bulk Actions at Scale let you message and move large groups of candidates at once during hospitality or contact-center hiring rounds. Audience Segmentation & Targeting helps you build filtered lists of past applicants so you can reach the right people when roles reopen.
Unemployment is 3.9%, below the U.S. rate of 4.2%, and nonfarm jobs grew +1.2% over the year. That points to steady competition for workers. Plan for candidates who have other options and respond quickly.
Customer service representatives earn a median of $21.02 an hour, and services sales representatives earn a median of $30.24, with a range from $17.31 to $64.82. Use the wage table to place your offer within the local range for each role. For commission roles, show both base and realistic total earnings.
Texas uses a minimum wage of $7.25, and cities and counties may not set their own. Local market pay for many roles is well above that floor, as the wage table shows. This is general information, so confirm current rules with the relevant agency or counsel.
Austin adopted a Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance limiting when certain private employers may ask about criminal history. Texas law now declares local hiring-practice rules void, so its enforceability is uncertain. Confirm your approach with counsel before changing your application or background-check process.
Yes, texting is a common way to reach hourly candidates quickly. Get clear opt-in consent before sending messages and honor STOP or opt-out requests right away. Keep a record of consent, and check your practices with counsel.
Leisure and hospitality is the fastest-growing top sector at +2.4%, so many employers run frequent hiring rounds. Use saved templates, self-service interview booking and bulk messaging so each round runs without manual rework. Keep strong past applicants on a list for the next opening.
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 18, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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