Jobs, pay and daily life in El Paso, 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.
El Paso is a city in Texas with 680,130 residents. The median household earns $59,745 a year and the median rent is $1,073 a month, which is 21.6% of the median household income. It is part of the El Paso, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 339,120 jobs.
How El Paso compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, El Paso is #6 by population, #19 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #100 for household income (#1 = highest), #24 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, El Paso County, is #180 of 254 counties for average pay ($50,230).
El Paso has 680,130 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.3% of the population of Texas. It covers 259 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,628 people per square mile. The median age is 34.5, 3% younger than the state median (34.5 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $1,073 a month (rent plus utilities), 24% below the state median ($1,073 against $1,403). Over a year that is 21.6% 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 $184,500, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($59,745); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.8% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (60.8% against 62.6%).
The El Paso, TX metropolitan area has 339,120 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $39,510 a year, 22% below the national median ($39,510 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (46,480 jobs, median $38,390); food preparation and serving related (36,960 jobs, median $26,260); transportation and material moving (34,000 jobs, median $36,920). The area is most specialised in protective service (1.3 times) and healthcare support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($93,220) and computer and mathematical ($82,860). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of El Paso County was 4.3%. 60.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in El Paso County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.4% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 1.2% walk, 8.9% work from home. 8.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (8.2% against 16.9%).
28.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17% below the state share (28.1% against 33.8%). 22.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 27% above the state share (22.4% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 18.4%, 33% above the state rate (18.4% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 83°F (28.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 42°F (5.8°C). About 259 mm (10 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (53 mm) and Apr the driest (7 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: Sunland Park (10 miles, rent 14% lower); Chaparral (14 miles, rent 21% lower); Santa Teresa (14 miles, rent 26% higher); Anthony (15 miles, rent 48% lower). Rent differences are against El Paso; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideEl Paso 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 560 | 0.75 | $289,950 | $58,770 | $415,890 | +9% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 770 | 0.52 | $152,840 | $89,230 | $207,160 | -13% |
| Lawyers | 780 | 0.48 | $140,550 | $80,970 | $217,920 | -12% |
| Financial Managers | 920 | 0.50 | $131,580 | $78,990 | $241,830 | -21% |
| Software Developers | 1,360 | 0.37 | $127,310 | $77,500 | $164,830 | -6% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 670 | 0.96 | $127,110 | $99,650 | $159,840 | -4% |
| Pharmacists | 590 | 0.85 | $124,910 | $100,040 | $165,150 | -11% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,340 | 0.99 | $122,930 | $69,170 | $170,830 | -13% |
| Sales Managers | 1,200 | 0.86 | $107,310 | $54,370 | $207,440 | -28% |
| Physical Therapists | 550 | 0.95 | $102,190 | $65,580 | $139,050 | -1% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,770 | 1.36 | $100,470 | $59,230 | $167,150 | -19% |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 620 | 1.54 | $99,430 | $66,450 | $134,260 | +2% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 560 | 0.49 | $94,610 | $54,770 | $134,410 | -11% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 890 | 0.94 | $91,920 | $44,180 | $139,430 | -21% |
| Registered Nurses | 7,320 | 0.99 | $86,100 | $61,230 | $117,220 | -12% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 960 | 1.34 | $85,960 | $75,040 | $105,840 | -19% |
| Construction Managers | 1,000 | 1.21 | $84,030 | $57,270 | $137,990 | -27% |
| Instructional Coordinators | 1,080 | 2.16 | $80,720 | $54,280 | $115,210 | +4% |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,060 | 0.88 | $79,920 | $47,360 | $126,410 | -22% |
| Civil Engineers | 550 | 0.69 | $79,090 | $59,690 | $126,440 | -22% |
These figures are for the whole El Paso, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $39,510 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 26.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 11.4% |
| Retail trade | 11.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.1% |
| Construction | 7.0% |
| Public administration | 6.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.7% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where El Paso lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 870,779 | $53,333 million | $61,247 | 333,908 | 16,825 | $50,230 | +2.5% | 4.3% | 422,861 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 48,830 | 18.4% | $46,801 | 1.02 |
| Retail trade | 38,688 | 14.6% | $36,146 | 1.16 |
| Accommodation and food services | 38,053 | 14.4% | $21,517 | 1.25 |
| Administrative and waste services | 24,727 | 9.3% | $39,235 | 1.26 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 18,316 | 6.9% | $57,159 | 1.30 |
| Manufacturing | 17,164 | 6.5% | $60,904 | 0.63 |
| Construction | 15,650 | 5.9% | $55,706 | 0.89 |
| Professional and technical services | 12,884 | 4.9% | $70,660 | 0.55 |
| Wholesale trade | 12,866 | 4.9% | $70,501 | 0.98 |
| Finance and insurance | 7,570 | 2.9% | $69,305 | 0.56 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,518 | 2.8% | $37,490 | 0.75 |
| Information | 5,885 | 2.2% | $55,104 | 0.94 |
| Real estate and rental | 4,970 | 1.9% | $54,790 | 0.96 |
| Educational services | 3,757 | 1.4% | $41,313 | 0.54 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,706 | 1.4% | $27,771 | 0.66 |
| Management of companies | 1,822 | 0.7% | $75,463 | 0.32 |
| Utilities | 1,556 | 0.6% | $107,633 | 1.23 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 944 | 0.4% | $42,261 | 0.35 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 73 | 0.0% | $73,733 | 0.06 |
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 | 75.4% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 8.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,745 |
| Income per person | $29,956 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,073 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.6% |
| Median home value | $184,500 |
| Homeowners | 60.8% |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $39,510 |
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 | 34.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 82.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 28.1% |
| Born abroad | 22.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.8 | 42 | 14 |
| Feb | 8.3 | 47 | 13 |
| Mar | 12.8 | 55 | 10 |
| Apr | 17.3 | 63 | 7 |
| May | 22.2 | 72 | 11 |
| Jun | 28.0 | 82 | 15 |
| Jul | 28.3 | 83 | 53 |
| Aug | 27.2 | 81 | 48 |
| Sep | 23.6 | 74 | 41 |
| Oct | 17.9 | 64 | 21 |
| Nov | 11.0 | 52 | 12 |
| Dec | 5.8 | 42 | 14 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunland Park | NM | 10 mi | 17,463 | $62,814 | $920 |
| Chaparral | NM | 14 mi | 18,186 | $46,017 | $853 |
| Santa Teresa | NM | 14 mi | 6,041 | $63,161 | $1,356 |
| Anthony | NM | 15 mi | 8,767 | $38,132 | $561 |
| Socorro | TX | 18 mi | 37,123 | $54,744 | $1,032 |
| Las Cruces | NM | 39 mi | 114,197 | $55,422 | $974 |
| Alamogordo | NM | 77 mi | 31,307 | $55,952 | $902 |
| Deming | NM | 83 mi | 15,221 | $34,165 | $586 |
| Truth or Consequences | NM | 108 mi | 6,019 | $33,788 | $714 |
| Ruidoso | NM | 113 mi | 7,699 | $52,736 | $944 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
680,130 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,073 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.6% of the median household income.
$59,745 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, El Paso County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.