StateRates

El Paso salaries

The median worker in the El Paso, TX metro area earned $37,880 a year in 2024, about $18.21 an hour. That ranks #374 of the 391 metro areas published here, 23.5% below the national median.

Texas

Median pay $37,880 $18.21 per hour
Vs national -23.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 332,330 wage and salary
Metro rank #374 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

El Paso pays 20.3% less than Texas as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +6.2% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +44.6% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in El Paso.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 7.37× 1,760 $107,240
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School 3.59× 1,790 $61,820
Compliance Officers 3.05× 2,620 $72,550
Sewing Machine Operators 2.59× 610 $20,760
Instructional Coordinators 2.23× 1,010 $74,900
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs 2.07× 700 $42,620
Information and Record Clerks, All Other 2.03× 630 $46,650
Food Preparation Workers 3,840 $23,980
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance 1.96× 890 $41,890
Customer Service Representatives 1.8× 10,550 $35,630
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists 1.77× 1,100 $46,780
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 1.71× 3,950 $60,000

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in El Paso
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Computer and Information Systems Managers $139,050 $66.85 640
Pharmacists $131,390 $63.17 580
Financial Managers $127,410 $61.25 870
Nurse Practitioners $126,120 $60.64 560
Managers, All Other $125,730 $60.45 1,200
Software Developers $121,160 $58.25 1,300
Lawyers $112,380 $54.03 830
Industrial Production Managers $110,760 $53.25 290
Human Resources Managers $109,990 $52.88 300
Business Teachers, Postsecondary $108,350 n/a 270
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $107,240 $51.56 1,760
Physician Assistants $105,630 $50.78 220
Marketing Managers $102,250 $49.16 500
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,140 $48.62 1,580
Sales Managers $100,830 $48.48 1,110
Physical Therapists $99,170 $47.68 500
Administrative Services Managers $97,390 $46.82 310
Occupational Therapists $93,590 $45.00 310
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $93,130 $44.78 230
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $93,100 $44.76 370
Computer Occupations, All Other $92,520 $44.48 810
Mechanical Engineers $90,250 $43.39 200
Computer Systems Analysts $86,170 $41.43 560
Electrical Engineers $84,310 $40.54 250
Industrial Engineers $84,110 $40.44 340
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $83,280 n/a 340
Dental Hygienists $82,800 $39.81 340
Speech-Language Pathologists $81,950 $39.40 500
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $81,440 n/a 970
Registered Nurses $81,380 $39.13 6,980
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $80,410 n/a 390
Data Scientists $80,350 $38.63 250
Construction Managers $80,060 $38.49 950
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $78,470 $37.73 660
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $77,300 $37.16 1,700
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $77,210 $37.12 590
Project Management Specialists $76,100 $36.59 1,620
Civil Engineers $74,990 $36.05 480
Management Analysts $74,960 $36.04 620
Instructional Coordinators $74,900 $36.01 1,010
General and Operations Managers $74,680 $35.90 8,390
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $73,940 $35.55 1,960
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $72,690 $34.95 980
Compliance Officers $72,550 $34.88 2,620
Respiratory Therapists $71,970 $34.60 330
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $70,670 $33.98 220
Financial and Investment Analysts $70,330 $33.81 280
Social and Community Service Managers $69,250 $33.29 340
Accountants and Auditors $67,070 $32.25 1,900
Physical Therapist Assistants $66,290 $31.87 310
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $66,210 $31.83 690
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $66,160 $31.81 580
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists $66,000 $31.73 340
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $64,380 n/a 260
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $64,170 $30.85 540
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $63,860 n/a 270
Logisticians $63,840 $30.69 450
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $63,410 $30.49 280
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $63,240 $30.41 1,240
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $62,810 n/a 2,960

Where most people work

Largest occupations in El Paso by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 14,040 $22,310 $10.73
Fast Food and Counter Workers 11,540 $22,570 $10.85
Customer Service Representatives 10,550 $35,630 $17.13
Retail Salespersons 9,830 $27,940 $13.43
General and Operations Managers 8,390 $74,680 $35.90
Cashiers 7,580 $24,210 $11.64
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 7,360 $48,180 $23.17
Stockers and Order Fillers 7,030 $33,850 $16.27
Registered Nurses 6,980 $81,380 $39.13
Office Clerks, General 6,000 $32,840 $15.79
Waiters and Waitresses 5,670 $26,070 $12.53
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 5,470 $28,490 $13.70
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 5,230 $33,160 $15.94
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 3,970 $53,510 $25.73
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,950 $60,000 n/a
Food Preparation Workers 3,840 $23,980 $11.53
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,690 $38,150 $18.34
Security Guards 3,530 $26,760 $12.87
Cooks, Restaurant 3,500 $28,580 $13.74
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 3,380 $31,480 $15.14

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Texas metro areas

El Paso pay: common questions

What is the average salary in El Paso?

The median across all occupations is $37,880, or $18.21 an hour, covering 332,330 wage and salary workers. The mean is $50,050, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does El Paso pay more than the rest of Texas?

No. The metro median of $37,880 is 20.3% below the Texas median of $47,500. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in El Paso?

Computer and Information Systems Managers ($139,050), Pharmacists ($131,390), Financial Managers ($127,410). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is El Paso unusually full of?

Detectives and Criminal Investigators, at 7.37× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.