Survey finds you need $136,500 salary to be happy in Austin
(FOX 7 Austin)
AUSTIN, Texas - How much do you need to be happy in Austin? According to a new survey you're going to need a six figure salary.
The study from Purdue University and GoBankingRates.com looked at the minimum salary you need to be happy in 50 large cities and for Austin that's $136,500.
The salary needed for emotional well-being is between the $78,000 to $97,500 range.
The study argued that the optimal amount of money it takes to be happy varies worldwide.
“That might be surprising as what we see on TV and what advertisers tell us we need would indicate that there is no ceiling when it comes to how much money is needed for happiness, but we now see there are some thresholds,” said Andrew T. Jebb, a doctoral student and the lead author of the Purdue University study, in a press release.
The research specifically sought to pinpoint the amount where money no longer changed a person’s level of emotional well-being.
Emotional well-being was measured according to a person’s day-to-day emotions, including happy, excited, sad and angry.
So how does Austin stack up against other Texas cities when it comes to how much you need to make to be happy?
- Arlington - $114,345
- Dallas - $113,085
- El Paso - $91,560
- Fort Worth - $112,665
- Houston - $110,040
The study also found that in Cleveland you need to earn $80,955 to be happy and you need to make a whopping $319,935 annually to be happy in San Francisco.
Nationally, the study says that the ideal salary needed to be happy is roughly $105,000, they say that’s generally enough to make people feel comfortable and happy enough to explore bigger goals. The Purdue researchers determined that, globally, individuals would need an income of $60,000-$75,000 for emotional well-being.