Desktop Publishers Salary
The median pay for a desktop publishers in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX is $54,980/year ($26.43/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $56,062 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,852/month, about 48.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About desktop publishers
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What this looks like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Desktop publishers pay in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,852/month, which is 48.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.07) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for desktop publishers in metros near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $68K | $66K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $51K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level desktop publishers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Desktop Publishers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Desktop Publishers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $78K | +41% | N/A |
| California | $72K | +30% | 320 |
| Maryland | $70K | +26% | 140 |
| New Jersey | $63K | +14% | 100 |
| South Carolina | $62K | +13% | 40 |
| Illinois | $61K | +11% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +11% | 80 |
| Texas | $58K | +4% | 270 |
| New York | $57K | +2% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $55K | -1% | 90 |
| Vermont | $54K | -3% | 50 |
| Ohio | $53K | -3% | 60 |
| Florida | $53K | -5% | 150 |
| Arizona | $52K | -6% | 30 |
| Oregon | $51K | -8% | 90 |
| Indiana | $49K | -11% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | -13% | 30 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -15% | 40 |
| Maine | $47K | -15% | 30 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -17% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | -17% | 40 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -17% | 40 |
| Michigan | $45K | -18% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -20% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -21% | 80 |
| Georgia | $39K | -29% | 230 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -34% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 27 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track desktop publishers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a desktop publisher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 48.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,852/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for desktop publishers in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new desktop publishers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,695/month. At HUD’s $1,852/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is desktop publisher a high-paying job in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compare to the national average for desktop publishers?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do desktop publishers make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $54,980 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,910, and experienced desktop publishers can clear $79,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,851/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 48.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a desktop publishers salary go in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median desktop publishers salary is worth about $56,062 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do desktop publishers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.