Minimum Wage in Austin Texas In Austin Texas minimum wage is barely enough to live on, living within a very tight budget. I chose the job of a lifeguard working at the YMCA of Hays County. The starting pay for this job is $8.00 an hour or $1386.66 a month. This is if I can work a full 40 hours a week. I plan on working my full time hours and try to work overtime as it is available. If I am not able to get in my full 40 hours a week I will be unable to meet my budget. In the next paragraph I will go over all of my expenses for one month. I own a car that was a gift to me. The expenses for the car are $50 a month for upkeep and repairs. I will have car insurance for $208 a month. I live 10 miles from my job and drive an average of 25 miles a day. Gas is $3.77 a gallon. This averages out to $170 a month for gas. I rent a two-bedroom apartment in Buda, Texas. I have 1 roommate. The total rent is $745 a month and we split the rent in half. My portion of the rent is $372.50 a month. My part of the electricity is $50. My part of the water bill is $30. We have Time Warner Cable for our home phone, cable, and internet. My portion of the cable bill is $45 a month. I have AT&T for a cell phone and that costs $50 a month. The USDA estimates that my average food bill for one male a month will be $234.20 based on a low cost plan. My health insurance offered through my job is $45 a month. My Social Security Tax is $55 dollars a month. I have budgeted myself for $75 a month for miscellaneous items. This will include all my toiletries, clothes, and entertainment. These expenses add up to a total of $1384.70. I make 1386.66 when I work all my hours. This does not take into account if I get sent home early our have to call in sick. This budget is so tight that if one thing goes wrong I would not be able to live off this minimum wage in Austin Texas. In