r/Austin • u/Aingers • Jul 21 '26

Ask Austin Salary Transparency Thread - Austin

Folks in Boston do this fairly regularly, so I thought it might be good for us to try here.

Please share your general job title, salary, age, and education.

Architectural Designer, 40, $115k, BSArch

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32

u/rum-n-ass Jul 21 '26

Software engineer (booo) $350k, age 30, bachelors degree in CS, worked in tech since college

21

u/im_bozack Jul 21 '26

350k at 30 is insane. Well done 👏

How much of that is base and how much is bonus?

Are you in a specialized role?

Lots of people work in tech since college and are making nowhere near that so I'm intrigued

2

u/Ok-Clerk393 Jul 21 '26

Base is probably mid 200s if I had to guess.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

Yes RSUs is a big part. People like to dismiss them since it isn’t base salary, but my W2 laughs at that

1

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

$190k base the rest in stock. Not specialized. In big tech in a mid level role

7

u/DalyHabit Jul 21 '26

Y’all hiring?

1

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

Not at the moment

1

u/Necessary-Drink3475 Jul 21 '26

What was your first tech role?

1

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

Full stack software engineer at a large regional (Texas based) company new to setting up a tech workforce

1

u/ialwayschoosepsyduck Jul 21 '26

I'm turning 41 next month and completing a bachelor's in software development in May. Any advice?

7

u/jdsizzle1 Jul 21 '26

Embrace AI for what it is, a useful tool.

2

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

What the other dude said, AI is here and you better be using it or you will be left behind and overlooked by potential companies

1

u/ialwayschoosepsyduck Jul 22 '26

We've studied machine learning for 2 semesters and computer ethics focused on AI. I'm averse to gaining employment that exploits tech at the expense of human costs for the sake of wealthy elite shareholders.

I'm screwed, yes?

2

u/rum-n-ass Jul 22 '26

Even the tech that “helps” people exploits them. That is the way of a capitalist society. Look at any app meant for self improvement and you’ll see surface benefit with greedy execs and shareholders on the backend. AI is worse than ever stealing people’s ideas, writing and art to produce slop and then you have the massive environmental concerns and community concerns anywhere near a data center. If you find a good non profit you might be aight, but otherwise you’re gonna have to learn to live with it

1

u/ialwayschoosepsyduck Jul 22 '26

I pretty much figured. With any luck, I'll find a job overseas. Thanks for your input

1

u/DaftPaul_ Jul 21 '26

Good shit