Markets
Is Austin a good place to work as a quant?
KnowQuant research deskUpdated 1 September 2026Method 2026.1
Short answer
Austin ranks #12 of 17 in our quant hiring index, rated fast-growing for opportunity, with a quant researcher median of $418k.
Austin has grown from a satellite office market into a genuine trading location, driven by firms moving electronic trading and engineering headcount out of New York and Chicago. Demand is engineering-weighted: quant development, low-latency systems and platform work outnumber pure research seats. Headline packages track the parent office closely, and Texas levies no state income tax, which changes the after-tax comparison with New York or Chicago. Federal tax, cost of living and local circumstances still apply, so compare after tax rather than assuming a fixed uplift.
Demand concentrates in electronic trading, quant development, market making. The employers our desk tracks in the market are jane-street, citadel, jump, running electronic trading, market making, quant development.
Right to work: Standard US routes, with many Austin desks run as extensions of established New York or Chicago entities. Confirm which entity would sponsor before relying on it.
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Cite these figures
KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/answers/is-austin-a-good-place-to-work-as-a-quant
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
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Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuantIndex 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.