Microsoft Manor Campus

Austin's economy has transformed into a tech-and-semiconductor hub: Apple's North America campus, Tesla's Gigafactory, Samsung's Taylor fab, Oracle, Indeed, and dozens of relocated tech companies have layered on top of the long-standing University of Texas and state government base. Data centers grew alongside that buildout — five tracked facilities, with roughly 1,400 NAICS 518 jobs (estimated). The metro is a fast-growing mid-tier market with strong tenant demand from semiconductor and tech employers rather than hyperscaler-scale campuses.

The trades market is compact at 57,080 workers. Electricians ($60,390) and HVAC technicians ($60,820) earn essentially identical median wages, again favoring HVAC on credentialing speed. The 12,430 maintenance workforce earns $48,730. Network admins clear $104,520 and IT managers an unusually high $176,990 reflecting the local tech salary pressure.

For a trades worker, Austin offers strong adjacency to semiconductor fab work that overlaps significantly with data center facility skills — both involve clean power, precision cooling, and high-reliability infrastructure. Best fit for HVAC technicians and electricians who can move between the chip-fab and data center channels. Cost of living has risen sharply, eroding some of the Texas wage advantage.