Human ResourcesBLS OESTech Hub

Chief People Officer Salary in Austin

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 8 comparison cities

$234,317/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $187,589 – $292,684

Very High Confidence Β· 100/100

Key insights for Chief People Officers in Austin

βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Methodology
  • β€ΊChief People Officers in Austin earn about 12% more than the national median for the role ($234K vs $210K).
  • β€ΊCost of living in Austin runs about 12% above the US average, so $234K is worth roughly $209K at national prices.
  • β€ΊAfter a simplified take-home estimate, $234K nets about $157K/yr β€” roughly $119K/yr left after typical single-person living costs here.
  • β€ΊPay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Chief People Officer reaches about $328K β€” a +40% step from mid-level.
Official Salary Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Chief People Officers in Austin typically earn $188K–$293K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $234K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $358K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 100/100Editorial policy β†’

Chief People Officer Salary Analysis β€” Austin

Chief People Officers in Austin earn a median salary of $234K, which is 12% above the national median of $210K. Austin's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Austin.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Austin's cost of living is 12% above the US average. Your $234K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $209K in a city with average US living costs.

$234K
Nominal salary
+12%
CoL vs US avg
$209K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” Austin

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$153,487

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$187,589

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$234,317

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$292,684

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$357,714

Staff / principal / lead

+12%
vs US avg
+10%
demand growth
Low
AI risk
Data Confidence
100/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 20, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
Gross$234K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’28%
Take-home$168K
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies.
Savings Potential
Take-home$168K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savings$88K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
49/100
Below Average
Job demand growth+10%
Automation riskLow

Are You Being Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see your exact market percentile in Austin

Am I Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see where you stand

$

Your salary is never stored or transmitted. Calculation runs locally in your browser.

Official Salary Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $234K a good salary for Chief People Officer in Austin?

Based on BLS data for 234,317 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $153KΒ·Median: $234KΒ·Top 10%: $358K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $234K for Chief People Officers in Austin

+12%
TX market level
TX pays 12% above the global baseline for this profession.
+12%
Austin metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+2%
Steady demand for Chief People Officers
Consistent hiring demand keeps wages competitive.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Chief People Officer Salary by Experience Level in Austin

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$159,336$13,278$77
Junior22 yrs$196,826$16,402$95
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$221,820$18,485$107
Senior66 yrs$253,062$21,089$122
Staff1010 yrs$328,044$27,337$158
Principal1414 yrs$399,276$33,273$192
Distinguished1818 yrs$417,084$34,757$201

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Chief People Officer

Estimated premium above the Austin median based on market demand

Executive Leadership+4% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr
Org Design+4% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr
Culture Strategy+4% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr
Succession Planning+4% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr
Board Relations+4% β‰ˆ +$9K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$47K/yr
Highest single skill
Executive Leadership +4%
Executive Leadership+4% Β· +$9K/yr
Org Design+4% Β· +$9K/yr
Culture Strategy+4% Β· +$9K/yr
Succession Planning+4% Β· +$9K/yr
Board Relations+4% Β· +$9K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Chief People Officer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

D49/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+10%/yr
AI Displacement Risk12% β€” Low
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+1.5%/yr
Below Average: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
$241K
In 2 yrs
$252K
In 5 yrs
$272K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Chief People Officer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$319K–$347K
per year
Base (70%)Bonus (10%)Equity (4%)Benefits (15%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$234,317
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–20% of base
$32,804
Equity (annualised)
~6% of base β€” RSUs/options
$14,059
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$51,550
Total Comp (mid)
$332,730

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Chief People Officers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Chief People Officer Salaries by City

How Austin, TX stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Austin, TX (current)$234,317$292,684++12%
New York, NY$305,658$381,796++46%
San Francisco, CA$344,263$430,017++64%
Seattle, WA$294,909$368,370++40%
Boston, MA$297,200$371,231++42%
Chicago, IL$238,784$298,264++14%
Los Angeles, CA$297,833$372,022++42%
Denver, CO$244,422$305,307++16%
Washington DC, DC$306,868$383,308++46%

Official Salary Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Chief People Officer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Career path data not available for this occupation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Chief People Officer salary in Austin, TX?

The median Chief People Officer salary in Austin, TX is $234K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $293K+ per year.

What is a good Chief People Officer salary in Austin, TX?

The 75th percentile ($293K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($234K) is above-average for this role in Austin, TX.

How much does a Chief People Officer earn per hour in Austin, TX?

Based on the median annual salary of $234K, a Chief People Officer in Austin, TX earns approximately $113/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$141/hr.

Is Austin, TX a good market for Chief People Officers?

Austin, TX pays 12% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Chief People Officers is growing 10% annually, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Chief People Officer salary in Austin, TX?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($293K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Austin figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Austin, Official Salary uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median Γ· national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

What a Chief People Officer salary really means in Austin

Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking β€” on the $234,317 median.

Estimated take-home

$168,396/yr

β‰ˆ $14,033/month net

Gross median
$234,317
Income tax
βˆ’$47,996
Social / FICA
βˆ’$17,925
Effective rate
28%

Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies. Single-filer estimate β€” not tax advice.

Rent affordability

9%

of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,222/mo)

The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$2,910/mo), roughly $11,123/mo is left to save or invest.

Cost-of-living data for Austin; rent β‰ˆ 42% of budget.

Remote vs onsite

$210,000–$234,317

typical fully-remote benchmark range

Onsite Chief People Officers in Austin earn the local median of $234,317. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($210,000) and the local rate β€” employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.

Compare all Chief People Officer markets β†’
βœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated June 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Methodology
Salary trend data not available for this occupation.

Education Premium β€” Chief People Officer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-25%
~$176K
Associate's Degree
-10%
~$211K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$234K
Master's Degree
+20%
~$281K
Doctoral (PhD)
+22%
~$286K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+35%
~$316K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Austin benchmarks
$234K
Market median
$293K
P75 target
$358K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

$
Chief People Officer in Austin β€” Distribution
P10
$153K
P25
$188K
P50
$234K
P75
$293K
P90
$358K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position
Check If You're Underpaid β†’