Jobs, pay and daily life in Houston, 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.
Houston is a city in Texas with 2,328,253 residents. The median household earns $64,813 a year and the median rent is $1,361 a month, which is 25.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,289,720 jobs.
How Houston compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, Houston is #1 by population, #114 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #88 for household income (#1 = highest), #49 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Harris County, is #9 of 254 counties for average pay ($88,554).
Houston has 2,328,253 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 7.7% of the population of Texas. It covers 641 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,634 people per square mile. The median age is 34.4, 3% younger than the state median (34.4 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $1,361 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,361 against $1,403). Over a year that is 25.2% 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 $277,800, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($64,813). 42.1% of households own their home, 33% below the state average (42.1% against 62.6%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area has 3,289,720 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,410 a year, 3% below the national median ($49,410 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (379,010 jobs, median $45,850); transportation and material moving (314,010 jobs, median $43,570); food preparation and serving related (307,980 jobs, median $28,530). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.4 times) and construction and extraction (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 ($126,630) and legal ($105,240). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Harris County was 4.6%. 67.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Harris County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.7% drive alone, 3.2% use public transit, 2.0% walk, 13.0% work from home. 15.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 7% below the state average (15.7% against 16.9%).
36.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8% above the state share (36.6% against 33.8%). 29.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 67% above the state share (29.3% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 19.9%, 44% above the state rate (19.9% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 84°F (29.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 51°F (10.3°C). About 1,246 mm (49 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (128 mm) and Feb the driest (69 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: Pearland (16 miles, rent 37% higher); Channelview (16 miles, rent 6% lower); Pasadena (17 miles, rent 11% lower); Atascocita (18 miles, rent 36% higher). Rent differences are against Houston; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideHarris 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 | 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 | 20.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.0% |
| Construction | 10.6% |
| Retail trade | 10.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.9% |
| Manufacturing | 7.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.3% |
| Other services | 5.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Public administration | 2.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Houston lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Waller County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 4,838,303 | $592,751 million | $122,512 | 2,445,972 | 124,542 | $88,554 | +1.0% | 4.6% | 2,549,337 |
| Fort Bend County | 893,767 | $49,615 million | $55,513 | 251,283 | 18,369 | $62,566 | +3.6% | 4.5% | 486,124 |
| Montgomery County | 684,432 | $50,079 million | $73,168 | 227,434 | 15,222 | $70,262 | +2.1% | 4.3% | 373,133 |
| Waller County | 61,552 | $6,168 million | $100,209 | 26,681 | 1,144 | $61,149 | +3.3% | 5.1% | 31,379 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 283,962 | 13.1% | $68,760 | 0.81 |
| Accommodation and food services | 227,214 | 10.5% | $28,925 | 1.02 |
| Professional and technical services | 217,268 | 10.1% | $131,076 | 1.28 |
| Retail trade | 212,140 | 9.8% | $43,408 | 0.87 |
| Administrative and waste services | 185,071 | 8.6% | $66,383 | 1.29 |
| Manufacturing | 177,472 | 8.2% | $104,337 | 0.88 |
| Construction | 168,380 | 7.8% | $91,855 | 1.31 |
| Wholesale trade | 136,317 | 6.3% | $111,996 | 1.41 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 130,475 | 6.0% | $97,286 | 1.26 |
| Finance and insurance | 77,655 | 3.6% | $159,027 | 0.78 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 74,550 | 3.5% | $60,178 | 1.01 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 63,046 | 2.9% | $237,810 | 6.81 |
| Educational services | 51,259 | 2.4% | $80,770 | 1.01 |
| Real estate and rental | 50,976 | 2.4% | $87,370 | 1.34 |
| Management of companies | 34,549 | 1.6% | $213,490 | 0.84 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 26,556 | 1.2% | $67,295 | 0.65 |
| Information | 21,603 | 1.0% | $114,247 | 0.47 |
| Utilities | 20,007 | 0.9% | $165,673 | 2.15 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,845 | 0.1% | $67,325 | 0.09 |
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 | 67.7% |
| Public transit | 3.2% |
| Walk | 2.0% |
| Work from home | 13.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 15.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,813 |
| Income per person | $42,430 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,361 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.2% |
| Median home value | $277,800 |
| Homeowners | 42.1% |
| Poverty rate | 19.9% |
| 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 | 34.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 80.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 36.6% |
| Born abroad | 29.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.1% |
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 |
| Channelview | TX | 16 mi | 43,605 | $64,422 | $1,279 |
| Pasadena | TX | 17 mi | 149,433 | $64,927 | $1,213 |
| Atascocita | TX | 18 mi | 99,354 | $118,226 | $1,849 |
| Deer Park | TX | 18 mi | 33,967 | $100,382 | $1,318 |
| Missouri City | TX | 18 mi | 76,558 | $94,390 | $1,931 |
| Mission Bend | TX | 18 mi | 36,586 | $67,282 | $1,747 |
| Spring | TX | 19 mi | 68,580 | $88,997 | $1,711 |
| Sugar Land | TX | 20 mi | 110,016 | $136,217 | $1,957 |
| La Porte | TX | 22 mi | 36,730 | $80,753 | $1,378 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
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Large employers headquartered in Houston (from our list of the 200 largest US-based employers):
| Company ⇅ | Industry ⇅ | Employees (global) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Sysco | Wholesale | 75,000 (2025) |
| Waste Management | Waste management | 48,000 (2023) |
2,328,253 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,361 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.2% of the median household income.
$64,813 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.6% (BLS county, Harris County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.