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Jobs in Texas: pay, hiring and what a paycheck buys

Texas has 13,844 open job postings from 1,226 employers in our data. 21.1% list a pay range, the median posted pay is $140,000 a year, 6% are remote and 32.6% have been open more than 60 days (data as of October 2026).

What stands out

Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesMedian wage for all jobs divided by the local price level, October 2026. Higher means a paycheck goes further.Paycheck power: typical official wage, adjusted for local pricesNew YorkNew York Official median wage: $59,500 Price level: 107.9 Paycheck power: $55,500 Click for the full page$55,500OhioOhio Official median wage: $49,500 Price level: 92.8 Paycheck power: $53,000 Click for the full page$53,000CaliforniaCalifornia Official median wage: $58,000 Price level: 110.7 Paycheck power: $52,500 Click for the full page$52,500IllinoisIllinois Official median wage: $52,000 Price level: 100 Paycheck power: $52,000 Click for the full page$52,000PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Official median wage: $49,500 Price level: 97.6 Paycheck power: $51,000 Click for the full page$51,000North CarolinaNorth Carolina Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 94.3 Paycheck power: $51,000 Click for the full page$51,000TexasTexas Official median wage: $48,500 Price level: 97.1 Paycheck power: $50,000$50,000FloridaFlorida Official median wage: $48,000 Price level: 103.4 Paycheck power: $46,500 Click for the full page$46,500Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Texas compared with similar-sized states: the median wage divided by the local price level (US average prices = 100). Download this chart (SVG)
13,844open postings from 1,226 employers
21.1%list a pay range
$140,000median posted pay
$48,500official median wage, all jobs (BLS)
4.6%unemployment rate, 2026-08 (BLS)
608,000job openings, 2025-12 (BLS JOLTS), rate 4.1%

Pay transparency

Texas has no statewide law requiring a pay range in job postings.

Metro areas in Texas

Metro areaPostingsPay listedMedian posted pay
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX5,05826.1%$132,000
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX3,70521.4%$165,000
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,48017.5%$127,500
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX83720.9%$113,000
Corpus Christi, TX16111.5%–
El Paso, TX15619.9%$180,000
Amarillo, TX12211.3%–
College Station-Bryan, TX1177.9%–
Lubbock, TX10013.4%–

What your paycheck buys here

Prices in Texas run 3% below the national average, and housing runs 3% below it. The official median wage for all jobs is $48,500, which is worth $50,000 in average-US dollars. The median posted pay of $140,000 is worth $144,000.

What things cost here (US average = 100)BEA regional price parities for the Texas metro area, 2024.What things cost here (US average = 100)All itemsAll items: 97.1 3% below the US average (100)97.1HousingHousing: 96.5 3% below the US average (100)96.5GoodsGoods: 98.1 2% below the US average (100)98.1UtilitiesUtilities: 87.5 12% below the US average (100)87.5Other servicesOther services: 97.1 3% below the US average (100)97.1Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
Local prices compared with the national average, where 100 is the US average. Download this chart (SVG)
The area's biggest jobs and what they payOfficial median annual wage for the ten largest occupations in Texas, May 2025.The area's biggest jobs and what they payFast Food and Counter Workers (460.5k)Fast Food and Counter Workers 460,530 workers Median wage: $27,500$27,500General and Operations Manager (431.3k)General and Operations Managers 431,310 workers Median wage: $103,000$103,000Retail Salespersons (341.6k)Retail Salespersons 341,640 workers Median wage: $31,000$31,000Customer Service Representativ (337.2k)Customer Service Representatives 337,170 workers Median wage: $40,500$40,500Home Health and Personal Care (329.6k)Home Health and Personal Care Aides 329,590 workers Median wage: $24,000$24,000Stockers and Order Fillers (322.7k)Stockers and Order Fillers 322,710 workers Median wage: $37,000$37,000Registered Nurses (271.4k)Registered Nurses 271,380 workers Median wage: $96,000$96,000Cashiers (245.7k)Cashiers 245,730 workers Median wage: $29,000$29,000Office Clerks, General (218.5k)Office Clerks, General 218,470 workers Median wage: $39,000$39,000Laborers and Freight, Stock, a (217k)Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 216,970 workers Median wage: $37,500$37,500Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Median wages for the ten occupations with the most workers here (worker count in parentheses). Download this chart (SVG)
Official wage vs posted pay, same jobMedian official wage and median posted pay for the same jobs in Texas.Official wage vs posted pay, same jobOfficial median wage (BLS)Median posted paySoftware developersSoftware developers Official median wage (BLS): $132,000 Median posted pay: $177,000 Median posted pay is 33.9% aboveSoftware developers Official median wage (BLS): $132,000 Median posted pay: $177,000 Median posted pay is 33.9% above$132,000 / $177,000HR specialistsHR specialists Official median wage (BLS): $69,000 Median posted pay: $115,000 Median posted pay is 66.9% aboveHR specialists Official median wage (BLS): $69,000 Median posted pay: $115,000 Median posted pay is 66.9% above$69,000 / $115,000Accountants and auditorsAccountants and auditors Official median wage (BLS): $81,000 Median posted pay: $101,000 Median posted pay is 24.7% aboveAccountants and auditors Official median wage (BLS): $81,000 Median posted pay: $101,000 Median posted pay is 24.7% above$81,000 / $101,000Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Official median wage next to the median pay in open postings for the same jobs. Download this chart (SVG)
Open postings by industry of the employerPostings by employer industry in Texas.Open postings by industry of the employerSoftware & TechnologySoftware & Technology 2,361 open postings 17.1% of this area's postings2,361Healthcare & Life SciencesHealthcare & Life Sciences 1,879 open postings 13.6% of this area's postings1,879Retail & E-commerceRetail & E-commerce 1,844 open postings 13.3% of this area's postings1,844Manufacturing & IndustrialManufacturing & Industrial 1,462 open postings 10.6% of this area's postings1,462Energy & UtilitiesEnergy & Utilities 1,246 open postings 9% of this area's postings1,246Real Estate & ConstructionReal Estate & Construction 1,185 open postings 8.6% of this area's postings1,185OtherOther 1,168 open postings 8.4% of this area's postings1,168Consulting & Professional ServicesConsulting & Professional Services 836 open postings 6% of this area's postings836Source: Second Summit, October 2026; BLS; BEA; Census
Which industries have the most open postings in our data. Download this chart (SVG)

Employers with the most openings

  1. Spacex: 683 postings
  2. Boxlunch: 322 postings
  3. RaceTrac: 281 postings
  4. Greystar: 264 postings
  5. Tamus: 249 postings

Federal government hiring

1157 federal job announcements open to the public list Texas, with a median posted salary range midpoint of $103,000. Agencies hiring most: Veterans Health Administration (258), Department of the Air Force Headquarters (139), Military Treatment Facilities under DHA (72), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (67), Air Education and Training Command (49). Source: USAJOBS.

How it compares with similar-sized states

StatePay listedPosted payOfficial wagePricesPaycheck power
Texas21.1%$140,000$48,50097.1$50,000
California62.9%$175,000$58,000110.7$52,500
Florida17.3%$110,500$48,000103.4$46,500
New York62.1%$165,000$59,500107.9$55,500
Illinois43.2%$122,500$52,000100$52,000
Pennsylvania24.1%$117,500$49,50097.6$51,000
Ohio21.4%$128,500$49,50092.8$53,000

Compare any states side by side

Download this data

Free to use with credit: Second Summit, October 2026. Data (CSV) · Data (JSON) · paycheck power chart (SVG) · posted vs official chart (SVG) · prices chart (SVG) · industries chart (SVG) · biggest jobs chart (SVG)

Related pages

A posting that lists several states counts in each. This covers employers whose career pages we read, not every job in Texas. Methodology · All states (CSV)

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