According to a 114-page annual compliance report filed with Travis County’s Economic Development Program, Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas in Austin more than tripled its employee ranks last year, reports Bloomberg.
By the end of 2022, the electric vehicle manufacturer had invested $5.81 billion in the 2,500-acre site. Over half of Tesla’s workers resided in Travis County, and the average full-time employee was paid at least $47,147 last year.
Tesla has been instrumental in reshaping Austin as a major tech center since moving its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, in 2021. At the end of 2022, the company reported a workforce of 12,277 in the Austin area, up from just 3,523 contingent and permanent employees in 2021.
Tesla manufactures its top-selling Model Y crossover SUV at its Austin facility and will soon start Cybertruck production there. It also plans to add employees in the state as it builds out a cathode factory in Austin and its lithium refinery in Corpus Christi. Tesla’s arrival has helped make Texas a national leader in job growth.
The automaker also expects its Austin factory to serve as a model for sustainable and productive manufacturing facilities. Last year, Tesla completed the first phase of what will become “the largest rooftop solar installation in the world,” according to the report. The company is now moving into the second phase of the solar roof installation, which is expected to generate 27 megawatts of power, said Tesla.
Check out the latest updates from Giga Texas, as seen from today by drone video shot by Joe Tegtmeyer:
