Austin, Texas, is both the capital and the fourth biggest city in a state known for just about everything big. The city once known as Waterloo then renamed for the “Father of Texas,” You may know Austin is famed for its live music scene, wonderful food trucks, and Formula One racing. What you may not know is that Austin, TX, is also a great place for nursing professionals to start or grow their careers.
If you’re thinking of looking for nursing jobs in Austin TX, there’s much more to learn about what this city has to offer nursing professionals both on and off the job.
Quick Facts About Nursing Jobs: Austin, TX
- Is Texas a compact state? Yes.
- What’s the average RN salary in Austin? The average salary for RN jobs in Austin is $86,720, compared to the national average salary for registered nurses of $89,010.
- Where can I find information about becoming a licensed RN in Texas? The Texas Board of Nursing website has extensive information on verification, renewal, and applications for licenses in the state.
What to Know About Nursing Jobs in Austin, TX
Austin has a population of 2,228,000, making it the 10th largest city in the U.S. (countering the claim of another contender, San Jose, CA). With a growing population comes a growing demand for healthcare. That demand must be met by not only doctors and RNs, but also by nursing professionals including . Nurses can consider many types of work that might best fit their schedule and life, including full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, and per diem nursing jobs in Austin, TX.
There are additional factors that can affect the availability of nursing jobs in Austin. The median age of Austin residents is 36 years old, with nearly 10% of the population 65 or older. Like many Texas cities, Austin is diverse, with a large Hispanic and Latino population (35%). Other ethnic groups in the city include African American/Black (8%) and Asian residents (7%). Considering Austin’s varied patient population, good accomplishments to discuss in your nursing interview include not only multilingual skills but also cultural competency skills.
If you need childcare while working in Austin, there are many options. The Texas government website can help you find highly rated providers and also offers scholarship assistance for those who need it. If you need pet care instead (or in addition!), that’s easy to find in Austin as well.
Working in Austin, TX
When we think of Texas, we may think of a wide-open highway. While that may be true if you are rolling through Hill Country, commuting to your nursing job in Austin will be just a bit different. The average commute in Austin is just over 24 minutes each way, but the good news is that that is still shorter than the national average of 26.4 minutes. And while many no longer run on Texas Tea, most Austinites still love their cars: 73% drive alone to work, with only 4% taking mass transit.
Even if it takes you a bit of time to get to your new nursing job in Austin, your options for choosing where you work are as big as the Lone Star State itself. The city is a magnate for innovation, with some of the main industries including life sciences, manufacturing, automotive, clean technology, data management, and semiconductors. In addition, the University of Texas at Austin has a great medical center and supplies a steady stream of graduates from Dell Medical School.
What other healthcare employers should you look for in this vibrant economy? If you are interested in acute care work, Austin has strong list of top ranked hospitals including:
- David’s Medical Center
- Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin
- David’s South Austin Medical Center
- Arise Austin Medical Center
- Ascension Seton Bastrop
If caring for elderly and long-term patients is more interesting to you, there are many post-acute care options for nursing jobs. Austin, TX is home to 37 nursing homes, with even more in the greater metro area.
Living in Austin, TX
“Keep Austin Weird” has been the unofficial city motto since 2000, but the city has been wonderful as well as weird for much longer. Home to the famed Austin City Limits — the longest-running music series in television history, and a huge festival — Austin is a center for music, education, arts, and food.
If you’d like to explore Austin’s arts and culture on your days off, you may want to start at a world-class museum like the Blanton or the Harry Ransom Center, which houses the first photograph and a Gutenberg Bible. If you’d like to mix art with the outdoors, there are street fairs and walking tours like the West Austin Studio Tour. Or if you feel like delving into something truly Austin-weird, don’t miss the Cathedral of Junk.
Beyond the wonderful country music Austin is known for, there is Ballet Austin, the Austin Opera, and the Austin Symphony, to name just a few classical options. Austin is also a creative center for jazz, blues, hip hop, and Tejano music.
If partaking in all the artistic excellence of Austin has made you hungry, there is something else the metro is known for — food. A city with its own style of barbecue, Austin is also famous for breakfast tacos — perfect for a quick bite before your first shift. You can explore the well-known food trucks in Austin, or just search out your favorite of the local greats: brisket, queso, chicken-fried steak, or a nice bowl of Texas Red (that’s chili with no beans).
When you are ready to burn off all that amazing food, consider hitting the nearby bike trails — Austin is known as one of the top bicycling cities in the U.S. A good ride, hike, or run can be found at McKinney Falls State Park and a cooling swim is always available at Blue Hole or Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Outdoor activity is easy in Austin, as the weather is warm to hot most of the year. Summers get hot and muggy, with the average temperature above 90 degrees. Winters are short, with the average temperature below 68 degrees.
All this potential for outdoor living, however, comes at a cost. Like most major and growing metros, Austin’s cost of living is a bit higher than the national average, unlike Texas as a whole, which is a bit under. However, groceries and utilities in Austin will cost you just a little less than national prices.
Find Great Nursing Jobs in Austin, TX With IntelyCare
Ready for a new adventure with CNA, LVN, or RN jobs in Austin? We can help. Start your IntelyCare application today, and build a schedule that fits your life.