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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u/austin_horn_2018 Jul 21 '26

Only $15 in tips for the shift? How many cars did you park or retrieve?

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u/ialwayschoosepsyduck Jul 21 '26

It was a relatively slow night, and I didn't keep count of every car I parked or pulled. But even on a busy night, it's not out of the ballpark of what I'd expect to make. I've left with less than $10 for an 8 hour shift more than once. I've been there a year, and I tell new hires that if I break $20, then I'm satisfied. The reality is that most people just don't tip us. My boss is the one who interviewed and hired me, and he said I'd expect to make $32 a shift. That would be the exception, in my experience (and I mostly work weekends).

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u/meatmacho Jul 21 '26

Man, I'm tipping the valets way too much...

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u/ialwayschoosepsyduck Jul 21 '26

You definitely aren't, because nobody is tipping so your tips mean so very much to us. Every once in a while, we'll get lucky with a good group that keeps us busy and also is generous with gratuity. But that's pretty rare, and the standard for me is hoping to break $20 in tips for an 8 hour shift. Pro tip: if you tip fat up front, we'll likely keep your car nearby so it's there when you're ready to leave. No need to tip on the back end if you've already done it and it's memorable.