Software Engineering Degree in Austin, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Austin, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$94K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$137K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.7 yrs
in Austin
Cost of Living
107
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Austin, TX Overview
Austin is one of Texas's top college towns, with 30 institutions and a student population of 206,177. Public tuition averages $11,448/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Austin is approximately $94,160.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
30
Public Tuition
$11,448/yr
Private Tuition
$31,126/yr
Room & Board
$12,563/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,991/yr
Unemployment
5.8%
Graduation Rate
58%
Software Engineering Salary in Austin (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Austin's cost of living index of 107 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Austin adjustment factor: 1.07x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Austin
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Austin tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,448 | Private avg: $31,126
Austin avg aid: $11,991/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$96,044
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$56,710
vs HS diploma in Austin
ROI Payback Period
1.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Austin
$1,166,556
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,262,600) minus total education cost ($96,044)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Austin
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Austin for Software Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
public
$11,448/yr
$45,792 total
St. Edward's University
private
$46,872/yr
$187,488 total
Huston-Tillotson University
private
$15,380/yr
$61,520 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Austin Community College
$2,640/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Austin
Austin offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Austin Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$101K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$106K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$92K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$89K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$82K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$82K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$72K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$75K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Austin
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$102K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$91K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$88K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$86K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$54K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Austin — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Software Engineering ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Austin.