Theater & Drama Degree in Austin, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Theater & Drama degree analysis for Austin, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$43K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$54K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
18 yrs
in Austin
Cost of Living
107
index (100 = avg)
Theater & Drama 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. Although national enrollment in Theater & Drama has been declining, graduates with skills in Acting and Directing remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in Austin is approximately $42,800.
Category
Humanities
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%
Theater & Drama Salary in Austin (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Austin's cost of living index of 107 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Theater & Drama salary: $40,000 starting, $50,000 mid-career, $65,000 senior level.Austin adjustment factor: 1.07x based on the local cost of living index.
Theater & Drama ROI Calculator for Austin
Estimate your return on investment for a Theater & Drama 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
$5,350
vs HS diploma in Austin
ROI Payback Period
18 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Austin
$-10,444
Lifetime earnings premium ($85,600) minus total education cost ($96,044)
Student Loan Payoff for Theater & Drama in Austin
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Austin for Theater & Drama
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 Theater & Drama in Austin
Austin offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Theater & Drama graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Austin Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Theater & Drama Job Titles
Theater & Drama in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$46K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$48K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$42K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$40K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$37K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$37K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$33K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$34K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Austin
Chinese Studies
$59K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$54K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$47K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$54K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$45K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$47K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$54K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$45K starting · 5 yr ROI
Theater & Drama 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 Theater & Drama ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Austin.