Jobs, pay and daily life in Houston, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Houston is a city in Texas with 2,387,910 residents. The median household earns $64,361 a year and the median rent is $1,408 a month, which is 26.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,289,720 jobs.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,540) →State guide: TexasCountry guide
There are 1,540 federal postings open in Texas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 105,810 | 1.30 | $27,570 | $21,630 | $35,210 | -12% |
| General and Operations Managers | 97,320 | 1.31 | $119,600 | $50,490 | $296,070 | +13% |
| Retail Salespersons | 78,960 | 0.96 | $31,340 | $23,350 | $45,670 | -11% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 72,970 | 1.22 | $36,890 | $28,740 | $46,910 | -1% |
| Registered Nurses | 65,910 | 0.92 | $99,830 | $74,860 | $130,440 | +2% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 65,510 | 1.19 | $40,380 | $28,600 | $59,840 | -10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 63,820 | 0.70 | $23,440 | $22,240 | $31,920 | -35% |
| Cashiers | 54,950 | 0.84 | $29,350 | $22,320 | $36,990 | -11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 52,520 | 0.84 | $38,000 | $29,660 | $52,270 | -6% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 51,330 | 1.07 | $22,080 | $17,480 | $47,290 | -37% |
| Office Clerks, General | 50,040 | 0.96 | $40,370 | $24,570 | $63,190 | -10% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 49,750 | 1.14 | $56,840 | $38,320 | $79,490 | -3% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 48,880 | 1.05 | $30,650 | $23,200 | $44,820 | -17% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 36,940 | 1.22 | $65,990 | $45,100 | $105,670 | -5% |
| Project Management Specialists | 35,550 | 1.58 | $99,510 | $58,560 | $168,070 | -3% |
| Construction Laborers | 34,080 | 1.47 | $41,350 | $34,880 | $58,310 | -12% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 33,710 | 0.93 | $46,750 | $29,770 | $65,940 | -2% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 32,710 | 1.10 | $35,050 | $24,600 | $38,370 | -6% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 32,050 | 0.99 | $46,710 | $31,620 | $76,210 | -6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 31,290 | 1.21 | $36,410 | $23,870 | $62,140 | -17% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 4,160 | 1.90 | $307,690 | $104,110 | $456,570 | +33% |
| Physicians, All Other | 7,010 | 0.97 | $292,490 | $73,390 | $457,450 | +10% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 680 | 0.62 | $275,310 | $169,310 | $342,260 | +16% |
| Chief Executives | 1,920 | 0.44 | $275,270 | $121,650 | $633,110 | +29% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,030 | 0.72 | $274,410 | $67,400 | $441,290 | +7% |
| Anesthesiologists | 1,160 | 1.42 | $210,230 | $83,920 | $488,670 | -46% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 13,090 | 0.92 | $172,160 | $106,600 | $275,130 | -2% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,330 | 1.14 | $172,020 | $124,910 | $285,950 | +0% |
| Financial Managers | 18,570 | 1.04 | $166,910 | $102,400 | $310,750 | +0% |
| Lawyers | 16,810 | 1.05 | $157,980 | $80,210 | $363,120 | -1% |
| Marketing Managers | 8,930 | 1.07 | $153,030 | $80,760 | $259,100 | -8% |
| Managers, All Other | 14,930 | 1.13 | $144,820 | $78,340 | $229,200 | +2% |
| Human Resources Managers | 5,890 | 1.26 | $142,110 | $88,380 | $224,150 | -5% |
| Pharmacists | 6,410 | 0.94 | $140,470 | $83,200 | $170,170 | -0% |
| Database Architects | 780 | 0.55 | $139,100 | $78,820 | $192,390 | -0% |
| Purchasing Managers | 2,630 | 1.47 | $139,050 | $87,970 | $210,420 | -6% |
| Chemical Engineers | 1,510 | 3.40 | $138,120 | $99,890 | $217,260 | +10% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 840 | 0.52 | $137,740 | $82,200 | $195,190 | -15% |
| Physician Assistants | 2,390 | 0.70 | $137,240 | $90,920 | $168,240 | +1% |
| Sales Managers | 16,430 | 1.22 | $135,880 | $68,680 | $269,000 | -8% |
These figures are for the whole Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,410 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.2% |
| Construction | 10.1% |
| Retail trade | 9.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.6% |
| Manufacturing | 8.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.6% |
| Other services | 5.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Public administration | 2.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.7% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 68.7% |
| Public transit | 3.4% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 10.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,361 |
| Income per person | $42,181 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,408 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 26.3% |
| Median home value | $301,200 |
| Homeowners | 40.9% |
| Poverty rate | 21.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 98.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,410 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 80.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 38.0% |
| Born abroad | 30.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.3 | 51 | 89 |
| Feb | 12.5 | 54 | 69 |
| Mar | 16.5 | 62 | 85 |
| Apr | 20.4 | 69 | 87 |
| May | 24.6 | 76 | 119 |
| Jun | 28.0 | 82 | 126 |
| Jul | 28.5 | 83 | 110 |
| Aug | 29.0 | 84 | 125 |
| Sep | 26.2 | 79 | 118 |
| Oct | 21.4 | 71 | 128 |
| Nov | 15.9 | 61 | 94 |
| Dec | 11.7 | 53 | 96 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearland | TX | 16 mi | 127,514 | $118,842 | $1,860 |
| Pasadena | TX | 17 mi | 149,433 | $64,927 | $1,213 |
| College Station | TX | 77 mi | 124,570 | $50,900 | $1,194 |
| Round Rock | TX | 145 mi | 127,786 | $99,287 | $1,763 |
| Austin | TX | 146 mi | 993,771 | $90,430 | $1,770 |
| Waco | TX | 163 mi | 143,570 | $54,365 | $1,165 |
| Killeen | TX | 166 mi | 158,159 | $60,977 | $1,208 |
| Corpus Christi | TX | 177 mi | 317,419 | $67,394 | $1,292 |
| San Antonio | TX | 190 mi | 1,526,621 | $66,176 | $1,389 |
| Lafayette | LA | 203 mi | 121,715 | $61,915 | $1,100 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
2,387,910 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,408 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 26.3% of the median household income.
$64,361 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.6% (BLS metro area 2026M09).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.