When it comes to jobs and workforce talent, Austin is a city on the rise, according to a new ranking from professional networking and career development platform LinkedIn. The Austin metro area ranks 18th on LinkedIn’s first-ever Cities on the Rise list.
San Antonio was the only other Texas city to make the list, coming in a few places behind Austin, at No. 23.
“We analyzed LinkedIn’s exclusive labor market data to identify 25 emerging metro areas where hiring is accelerating, job postings are surging, and talent migration is reshaping local economies,” the platform says.
The list features midsize metros with fewer than 2.5 million LinkedIn members. The full report includes insights on the average income and home listing prices in the metro, as well as top destinations for residents (compiled using Lyft data), “providing a window into the places shaping each city’s culture.”
LinkedIn says Austin earned its No. 18 position thanks to major corporate relocations, a data center boom, and investments by tech giants. These factors “are sustaining Austin’s continued rise as a vibrant hub for job growth and stimulating billions of dollars in local infrastructure projects to keep up with the metro’s growth,” says LinkedIn.
Top industries hiring in Austin include professional services, technology, and manufacturing; the city’s top employers are The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Technologies, and Apple, the study says.
Adding to the city’s appeal, according to LinkedIn, the average income in Austin is $80,470, average home listing price is $805,670, and “Nightlife is the star in the capital of the Lone Star state, with locals most likely to make their way to a concert, club or bar.”
How San Antonio compares
In assigning the No. 23 spot to San Antonio, LinkedIn says the metro area “is reinventing itself as a rising tech and manufacturing hub — drawing Gen Z job seekers and out-of-state talent.”
Top industries hiring in San Antonio include professional services, healthcare, and government administration. Not surprisingly, the city’s top employers are listed as USAA, U.S. Air Force, and H-E-B.
According to LinkedIn, the average income in San Antonio is $59,480, and average home listing price is $470,160 (much lower than Austin’s).
As for hotspots that attract young professionals, “the city’s iconic River Walk serves as the heart of the city’s vibrant nightlife, drawing locals to nearby bars and restaurants,” the study says.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, grabbed the top spot on the Cities on the Rise list for midsize areas.
A separate ranking for large metro areas with more than 2.5 million LinkedIn members puts the San Francisco Bay Area at No. 1. LinkedIn says this signals “that job market momentum is driving the metro’s post-pandemic revival.”
Neither Dallas-Fort Worth nor Houston appears in this 10-city ranking.