Alam-oh!

San Antonio earns top spot among best big cities for higher salaries

San Antonio River Walk skyline with park

Salaries in San Antonio go a lot farther than other places in Texas.

Photo by dszc/Getty Images

A new report shows that it really, really, really pays to live and work in San Antonio. According to the report, published August 15 by the Indeed Hiring Lab, San Antonio boasts some of the highest salaries in the U.S. when adjusted for the cost of living.

Among metros with at least 1 million residents, the report ranks the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area fifth for cost-adjusted salaries — an average of $72,022 a year. That figure was based on annual salaries for jobs posted on the Indeed website. Those salaries then were tweaked according to cost-of-living figures produced by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The nonprofit San Antonio Economic Development Foundation says that although it is one the country’s largest cities, San Antonio maintains a “comparatively affordable cost of living” — nearly 12 percentage points lower than the U.S. average — coupled with big-city amenities. Alamo City's cost of living bolsters the metro area's appeal as a growing business hub that attracts young professionals, the group says.

San Antonio also shines in another part of the Indeed Hiring Lab report. Among metros with at least 250,000 residents, San Antonio appears at No. 4 for areas with the highest cost-adjusted salaries and above-average job opportunities.

“Even if you’re only considering economic factors when choosing a new hometown, don’t stop at adjusted salaries,” the report says. “Unless you’ve already got a secure job in hand, you should consider the ease of finding a job today and the odds of having one in the future.”

The Alamo City also fares well in a head-to-head matchup with its metro neighbor to the north.

Throughout the country, the Indeed Hiring Lab compared pairs of close-by “sister city” metro areas that offer a similar mix of jobs but where one metro wields an advantage over the other in terms of cost-adjusted salaries. In San Antonio’s case, Austin was the “sister city.” As you might expect, San Antonio’s typical cost-adjusted salary was notably higher than Austin’s ($67,361 a year), according to the report.

“Austinites might not have to move far or to someplace unfamiliar in order to boost their standard of living,” Indeed Hiring Lab’s chief economist, Jed Kolko, tells CultureMap. “San Antonio is nearby and has a more similar mix of jobs to Austin than most other places do — with salaries typically 7 percent higher than Austin, after accounting for living costs.”

Those looking to stay in the state should consider job opportunities in Brownsville and Harligen. That metro area, located in South Texas, has the highest adjusted salary in the country at $80,880.

Meanwhile in the Panhandle, Lubbock is the third best city in the country for both salaries and above-average opportunities — one spot above San Antonio. Living up to its nickname, the annual adjusted salary in Hub City is $72,340.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans to look out for parasitic screwworm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

It probably won't take much to convince Texans to stay away from the latest invasive species from Mexico, once they hear about the symptoms. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says to look out for evidence of the New World Screwworm (NWS) affecting animals, especially near the state's southern border.

So far it sounds like the NWS is still relatively far away, having been spotted in a cow at a checkpoint near the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It was eradicated from the United States in 1966, according to TPWD, but it is being tracked northward from South and Central America.

Although it's called a worm, it is really a parasitic larva, and this is where things get disturbing.

Before the "worms" become the NWS fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), they lay eggs in open wounds or orifices of live tissue. They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. An infestation can even lead to the death of the animal.

The larvae drop to the ground after feeding, and emerge as flies that can travel long distances, so the movement of livestock — not just contact among them — is a concern.

If you don't own livestock, you're not quite out of the woods. Although the NWS does affect those animals the most, it also affects wildlife like deer and birds, and even pets and humans. Hunters should also keep an eye out, as well as any "outdoor enthusiasts," says the release.

From the release, here are some things to look out for:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

To keep the flies away, especially when traveling to NWS-affected areas like Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American countries, TPWD says it's important to clean and cover all wounds. Travelers should also use insect repellant on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Those enjoying Texas’ natural resources have an opportunity to serve as the first line of defense in protecting wildlife, livestock, and human health,” said TPWD wildlife veterinarian Dr. J Hunter Reed in the release. “Their eyes and ears will be critical to quickly responding and managing this threat.”

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