Houston, TX Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $48,490, spread over roughly 3,246,360 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from general and operations managers down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Houston, TX
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $51.97 | $108,090 | 105,830 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $12.96 | $26,960 | 89,540 |
| Retail Salespersons | $14.55 | $30,260 | 75,920 |
| Registered Nurses | $47.02 | $97,810 | 65,300 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $18.90 | $39,310 | 64,180 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $17.40 | $36,200 | 63,070 |
| Cashiers | $13.68 | $28,460 | 61,310 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $10.97 | $22,820 | 60,390 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $18.08 | $37,600 | 52,970 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $12.90 | $26,830 | 52,610 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $26.68 | $55,500 | 49,210 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $14.60 | $30,360 | 47,130 |
| Office Clerks, General | $18.29 | $38,040 | 45,420 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $31.89 | $66,340 | 39,110 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $22.01 | $45,790 | 33,190 |
| Construction Laborers | $18.51 | $38,510 | 33,070 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $16.23 | $33,760 | 32,020 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $29.78 | $61,950 | 31,710 |
| Project Management Specialists | $47.11 | $97,990 | 30,830 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $22.15 | $46,080 | 30,550 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $17.88 | $37,200 | 29,200 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $23.63 | $49,140 | 27,680 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $39.08 | $81,290 | 27,340 |
| Security Guards | $15.62 | $32,480 | 27,180 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $30.88 | $64,230 | 26,840 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $28.75 | $59,800 | 25,180 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $36.13 | $75,150 | 24,650 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $31.26 | $65,030 | 24,600 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $13.24 | $27,540 | 24,160 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $22.23 | $46,240 | 23,910 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $14.31 | $29,770 | 22,840 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $18.57 | $38,620 | 22,770 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $22.33 | $46,440 | 21,310 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $17.58 | $36,560 | 21,010 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $38.53 | $80,150 | 20,990 |
| Software Developers | $61.51 | $127,940 | 20,830 |
| Nursing Assistants | $17.76 | $36,940 | 19,510 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $16.81 | $34,970 | 18,710 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $30.38 | $63,180 | 18,470 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $33.43 | $69,530 | 18,000 |
| Electricians | $28.45 | $59,180 | 17,860 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $25.87 | $53,810 | 17,750 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $30.58 | $63,610 | 17,640 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $37.59 | $78,190 | 17,510 |
| Financial Managers | $79.43 | $165,220 | 17,440 |
| Sales Managers | $63.00 | $131,040 | 17,400 |
| Lawyers | $67.05 | $139,460 | 17,290 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $21.00 | $43,690 | 17,040 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $21.06 | $43,810 | 17,030 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $20.96 | $43,590 | 16,790 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $22,820 to $165,220 — a 7.2× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $48,490 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Houston, TX pay
What is the median salary in Houston, TX?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $48,490. Total employment covered by the survey is about 3,246,360 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Houston, TX?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to general and operations managers at $108,090, followed by fast food and counter workers ($26,960) and retail salespersons ($30,260).
How many occupations are covered for Houston, TX?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Houston, TX?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Houston, TX may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $48,490 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.