Salaries in San Antonio, TX

Here’s a fun one for you: San Antonio’s median household income is only $62,322, but when you adjust for its low cost of living, that paycheck buys you what a $73,000 salary would in an average U.S. city. It’s a classic case of “looks modest on paper, feels better in your wallet.”

Let’s talk purchasing power. With a cost-of-living index of 93.7, everything from groceries to a one-bedroom apartment (around $1,197 a month) is about 6% cheaper than the national average. That’s not nothing. You’re not getting rich quick, but your money stretches, especially if you’re a two-income household. It’s a bargain, honestly, compared to coastal hubs.

The economy here is anchored by healthcare, the military, and tech. USAA, H-E-B, and the massive Brooke Army Medical Center are huge employers. You’ll see that reflected in the top-paying jobs: pharmacists and software developers are in high demand, pulling in six-figure salaries that go even further here. The construction and project management fields are also booming, thanks to relentless population growth.

Now, the catch. While the average salary ($68,448) adjusts nicely to $73,051, wages haven’t always kept pace with the city’s recent inflation. It’s fantastic for skilled professionals in those top fields, but if you’re in a role with flatter pay scales, you might feel the squeeze more than you’d expect. It works best if you have a degree—that 30.5% of residents with a bachelor’s or higher tend to capture these better-paying roles.

The data below breaks it all down, from top occupations to what you can really expect to take home.