Jobs, pay and daily life in Corpus Christi, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Corpus Christi is a city in Texas with 317,419 residents. The median household earns $67,394 a year and the median rent is $1,292 a month, which is 23.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Corpus Christi, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 192,580 jobs.
How Corpus Christi compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, Corpus Christi is #8 by population, #115 for remote work (#1 = most), #17 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #91 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Nueces County, is #75 of 254 counties for average pay ($60,476).
Corpus Christi has 317,419 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.1% of the population of Texas. It covers 166 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,907 people per square mile. The median age is 36.9, 4% older than the state median (36.9 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $1,292 a month (rent plus utilities), 8% below the state median ($1,292 against $1,403). Over a year that is 23.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $210,400, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($67,394); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 57.9% of households own their home, 7% below the state average (57.9% against 62.6%).
The Corpus Christi, TX metropolitan area has 192,580 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,350 a year, 11% below the national median ($45,350 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (22,270 jobs, median $27,550); office and administrative support (21,870 jobs, median $40,150); sales and related (15,220 jobs, median $34,330). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.9 times) and installation, maintenance, and repair (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($97,410) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($78,820). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Nueces County was 4.4%. 61.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Nueces County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.3% drive alone, 1.2% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 5.3% work from home. 7.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 57% below the state average (7.3% against 16.9%).
24.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28% below the state share (24.4% against 33.8%). 8.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 50% below the state share (8.8% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 17.1%, 24% above the state rate (17.1% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 85°F (29.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 60°F (15.4°C). About 860 mm (34 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (145 mm) and Feb the driest (35 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Victoria (75 miles, rent 9% lower); Harlingen (113 miles, rent 28% lower); Edinburg (116 miles, rent 23% lower); Weslaco (121 miles, rent 25% lower). Rent differences are against Corpus Christi; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideNueces CountyTexas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,539 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 | 7,870 | 1.65 | $25,630 | $21,240 | $29,770 | -18% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6,630 | 1.24 | $23,440 | $21,620 | $28,170 | -35% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,570 | 1.28 | $90,600 | $43,630 | $214,390 | -14% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,800 | 1.15 | $82,690 | $62,710 | $99,280 | -15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,790 | 0.99 | $29,200 | $22,640 | $43,200 | -18% |
| Cashiers | 3,650 | 0.95 | $28,140 | $21,700 | $36,980 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,450 | 0.98 | $36,470 | $27,390 | $45,480 | -2% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,390 | 1.20 | $22,820 | $16,500 | $47,810 | -35% |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,290 | 1.08 | $36,940 | $23,950 | $58,440 | -18% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,280 | 1.02 | $37,070 | $27,140 | $54,270 | -17% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,850 | 1.04 | $30,690 | $22,180 | $43,710 | -17% |
| Construction Laborers | 2,640 | 1.94 | $42,440 | $33,130 | $61,570 | -10% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,570 | 1.01 | $49,000 | $34,990 | $73,900 | -16% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,530 | 1.33 | $41,370 | $29,710 | $63,690 | -17% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,470 | 0.68 | $36,410 | $27,380 | $50,160 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,440 | 1.61 | $33,910 | $27,780 | $56,680 | -23% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 2,330 | 2.32 | $66,820 | $44,390 | $97,600 | -16% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,150 | 1.02 | $42,700 | $29,610 | $60,970 | -10% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,130 | 1.22 | $30,670 | $21,540 | $36,640 | -18% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,870 | 1.05 | $59,770 | $39,130 | $96,580 | -14% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 560 | 0.53 | $138,150 | $80,510 | $273,990 | -17% |
| Lawyers | 740 | 0.80 | $129,180 | $43,800 | $345,600 | -19% |
| Managers, All Other | 600 | 0.78 | $124,740 | $68,520 | $202,790 | -12% |
| Software Developers | 520 | 0.25 | $123,580 | $76,170 | $170,580 | -9% |
| Sales Managers | 600 | 0.75 | $111,390 | $60,240 | $228,680 | -25% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 820 | 1.11 | $105,950 | $64,180 | $174,610 | -14% |
| Construction Managers | 1,150 | 2.43 | $98,520 | $63,140 | $159,760 | -14% |
| Civil Engineers | 820 | 1.79 | $95,160 | $64,450 | $154,910 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 5,570 | 1.28 | $90,600 | $43,630 | $214,390 | -14% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,390 | 1.05 | $90,320 | $48,840 | $156,990 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,800 | 1.15 | $82,690 | $62,710 | $99,280 | -15% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 500 | 1.24 | $82,520 | $66,220 | $117,570 | -22% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,090 | 0.81 | $77,770 | $45,520 | $127,070 | -6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 710 | 0.85 | $76,560 | $41,870 | $141,440 | +3% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,070 | 0.60 | $75,580 | $49,180 | $126,550 | -10% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,330 | 1.73 | $75,120 | $45,420 | $124,070 | -6% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 980 | 1.18 | $73,400 | $44,460 | $90,690 | -4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 2,330 | 2.32 | $66,820 | $44,390 | $97,600 | -16% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 540 | 1.11 | $66,540 | $42,020 | $88,070 | +12% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,470 | 1.11 | $63,020 | $54,010 | $77,440 | -13% |
These figures are for the whole Corpus Christi, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,350 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.4% |
| Retail trade | 12.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.8% |
| Construction | 9.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6.5% |
| Public administration | 5.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.1% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Corpus Christi lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Aransas County, Kleberg County, San Patricio County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nueces County | 352,955 | $27,852 million | $78,910 | 163,763 | 8,568 | $60,476 | +2.1% | 4.4% | 171,423 |
| Aransas County | 24,876 | $961 million | $38,645 | 6,243 | 696 | $45,266 | -1.8% | 5.0% | 10,361 |
| Kleberg County | 30,579 | $1,563 million | $51,129 | 11,926 | 631 | $51,790 | +1.4% | 4.5% | 14,173 |
| San Patricio County | 70,181 | $3,781 million | $53,881 | 21,522 | 1,217 | $63,090 | -7.8% | 5.0% | 32,960 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 29,876 | 22.0% | $57,815 | 1.27 |
| Accommodation and food services | 20,165 | 14.8% | $24,027 | 1.35 |
| Retail trade | 17,257 | 12.7% | $39,025 | 1.06 |
| Construction | 16,307 | 12.0% | $85,253 | 1.90 |
| Administrative and waste services | 7,654 | 5.6% | $49,003 | 0.79 |
| Professional and technical services | 7,511 | 5.5% | $86,325 | 0.66 |
| Manufacturing | 6,885 | 5.1% | $105,859 | 0.51 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,288 | 3.9% | $82,992 | 0.82 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4,701 | 3.5% | $76,068 | 0.68 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,481 | 3.3% | $77,673 | 0.67 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4,306 | 3.2% | $48,898 | 0.87 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,201 | 2.4% | $64,638 | 1.26 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 2,116 | 1.6% | $114,621 | 3.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,015 | 1.5% | $24,081 | 0.73 |
| Information | 1,151 | 0.8% | $72,635 | 0.37 |
| Management of companies | 1,034 | 0.8% | $160,785 | 0.37 |
| Educational services | 822 | 0.6% | $34,390 | 0.24 |
| Utilities | 812 | 0.6% | $116,591 | 1.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 411 | 0.3% | $45,022 | 0.31 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.3% |
| Public transit | 1.2% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 5.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,394 |
| Income per person | $34,788 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,292 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.0% |
| Median home value | $210,400 |
| Homeowners | 57.9% |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 92.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,350 |
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 | 36.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.4% |
| Born abroad | 8.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15.4 | 60 | 55 |
| Feb | 16.4 | 62 | 35 |
| Mar | 18.9 | 66 | 53 |
| Apr | 22.1 | 72 | 50 |
| May | 25.3 | 78 | 87 |
| Jun | 28.2 | 83 | 84 |
| Jul | 28.8 | 84 | 94 |
| Aug | 29.2 | 85 | 67 |
| Sep | 28.1 | 83 | 145 |
| Oct | 25.1 | 77 | 82 |
| Nov | 20.6 | 69 | 63 |
| Dec | 16.9 | 62 | 45 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | TX | 75 mi | 65,625 | $67,226 | $1,172 |
| Harlingen | TX | 113 mi | 72,087 | $53,645 | $928 |
| Edinburg | TX | 116 mi | 104,550 | $59,466 | $996 |
| Weslaco | TX | 121 mi | 42,229 | $59,551 | $967 |
| Brownsville | TX | 123 mi | 189,177 | $52,130 | $923 |
| San Juan | TX | 124 mi | 36,149 | $56,562 | $961 |
| McAllen | TX | 125 mi | 145,385 | $61,579 | $1,049 |
| Pharr | TX | 127 mi | 80,333 | $52,814 | $1,037 |
| Mission | TX | 128 mi | 87,038 | $60,767 | $950 |
| Seguin | TX | 136 mi | 33,754 | $64,861 | $1,187 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
317,419 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,292 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.0% of the median household income.
$67,394 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Nueces County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.