Tesla is expanding, and so is its workforce at Giga Texas. The headcount at its newest factory in Austin ballooned by 300% last year to 12,000, according to information provided to county officials and reported by Bloomberg.
The American EV maker operates a 2,500-acre site where it has invested $5.81 billion. The manufacturing hub paid the average full-time employee $47,147, with more than half of the workforce living in the county.
Tesla has left its huge marks in Austin, the capital of Texas, and is partially responsible for transforming the county into a major tech center. CEO Elon Musk moved his headquarters there from Palo Alto, California, in 2021. In just one year, the number of people on Tesla’s payroll increased from 3,523 to 12,277.
Texas reported the most job growth in the country, coinciding with Tesla’s arrival. After officially opening it last year, Tesla now manufactures 4,000 Model Y SUVs per week at Giga Texas. The factory also produced Tesla’s 4 millionth car last month.
The company plans to hire more employees as it develops a cathode factory and lithium refinery.
Apart from manufacturing, Tesla touts Giga Texas as a model for sustainable production after completing the first phase of the largest rooftop solar installation in the world. According to Tesla, the installation will produce 27 MW of renewable power.
