Linear Talent
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Austin, TX

Austin talent.

Linear supports the growing concentration of founders, funds, and relocating principals in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country with senior executive and private support hires.

Who we serve

Founders relocating from coastal markets, emerging fund managers, and private principals establishing Texas households.

Neighborhoods

  • Downtown Austin
  • Tarrytown
  • West Lake Hills
  • Barton Creek
  • Lake Austin

Industries

  • Venture capital
  • Software & AI
  • Private family offices
  • Real estate

Market overview

Staffing in Austin.

Austin is the youngest of our markets and the fastest changing. Over the last five years the city has become a real home for relocated family offices, emerging fund managers, and founders establishing Texas households — which has created strong demand for senior operators and household staff without yet building a deep local talent pool. Most Austin searches involve either relocating a candidate from another market or identifying long-tenured Texas operators who have quietly worked for one or two families and are open to a change. Linear works across Downtown Austin, Tarrytown, West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, and Lake Austin.

Who we're serving

Our Austin clients are principals who have relocated from New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles in the last three to five years, emerging fund managers building first offices, and founders establishing Hill Country households often as a second residence. A growing share are second-generation family offices formalizing operations around a new Texas base.

Compensation in Austin

What roles typically pay.

Chief of Staff
$200K–$375K base plus bonus. Compensation has moved up sharply in Austin over the last three years as national principals have set the market.
Executive Assistant
$130K–$225K base. Senior EAs relocating from coastal markets typically anchor to coastal comp.
Estate Manager
$160K–$300K base. Ranch and lakefront properties with heavy vendor coordination sit at the top of the range.
House Manager / Personal Assistant
$100K–$170K depending on residence complexity and whether the role includes ranch or waterfront operations.

Figures are market ranges; every search is calibrated to the specific mandate.

Hiring in Austin

How searches actually run here.

Two structural realities shape Austin hiring. First, the local candidate pool for senior private and executive support roles is genuinely thin — most successful searches include at least a partial relocation shortlist. Second, retention is the harder problem: candidates who relocated to Austin in 2021 or 2022 are now the target of competing offers from newer arrivals. We approach Austin engagements with an explicit retention plan — clear scope, market-aligned compensation, and long-term incentives where appropriate — rather than treating the offer as the end of the search.

Frequently asked

Austin searches.

Do you work with candidates open to relocating to Austin?
Yes. A meaningful share of our Austin shortlist is drawn from New York, LA, and Miami candidates open to a Texas move. We calibrate relocation packages and timelines before extending an offer.
Do you place staff for ranch or lake properties, not just city residences?
Yes. Many of our Austin engagements involve Hill Country ranches, Lake Austin waterfront, or a portfolio combining an Austin primary with a coastal secondary.
Is Austin more or less expensive than coastal markets for staff?
For senior roles, Austin compensation has largely converged with coastal markets — the state income tax advantage no longer translates into materially lower base pay for Chiefs of Staff, Estate Managers, or senior EAs.

Roles we place in Austin

Senior support, across disciplines.

Beginning a search in Austin?

Every engagement starts with a private consultation.

Request consultation