StateRates

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands salaries

The median worker in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earned $48,490 a year in 2024, about $23.31 an hour. That ranks #118 of the 391 metro areas published here, 2% below the national median.

Texas

Median pay $48,490 $23.31 per hour
Vs national -2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 3,246,360 wage and salary
Metro rank #118 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays 2.1% more 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 +0.2% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +22.4% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Petroleum Engineers 12.71× 5,080 $159,990
Wellhead Pumpers 10.78× 3,940 $78,290
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers 8.45× 6,200 $103,280
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders 7.5× 1,720 $59,560
Sailors and Marine Oilers 7.02× 4,640 $70,660
Wind Turbine Service Technicians 6.76× 1,600 $61,800
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas 6.69× 1,560 $65,910
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas 6.18× 5,740 $50,100
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 6.02× 1,660 $79,150
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 5.97× 5,690 $49,590
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers 5.8× 1,540 $58,600
Boilermakers 5.23× 1,120 $64,310

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Nurse Anesthetists $235,490 $113.22 900
29-1211 $202,830 $97.52 1,190
Pediatricians, General $187,590 $90.19 1,280
Architectural and Engineering Managers $172,810 $83.08 5,510
Dentists, General $170,170 $81.81 1,410
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $168,280 $80.90 1,760
Computer and Information Systems Managers $167,630 $80.59 13,320
Commercial Pilots $167,210 n/a 950
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $166,120 $79.86 460
Financial Managers $165,220 $79.43 17,440
Petroleum Engineers $159,990 $76.92 5,080
Chemical Engineers $152,290 $73.22 1,800
Materials Engineers $147,080 $70.71 440
Marketing Managers $144,420 $69.44 9,210
Compensation and Benefits Managers $140,710 $67.65 470
Lawyers $139,460 $67.05 17,290
Pharmacists $139,010 $66.83 6,230
Physician Assistants $134,840 $64.83 2,290
Purchasing Managers $133,670 $64.26 2,230
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $133,610 n/a 10,970
Computer Hardware Engineers $133,350 $64.11 950
Nurse Practitioners $133,140 $64.01 4,680
Industrial Production Managers $132,180 $63.55 6,370
Engineers, All Other $131,250 $63.10 3,440
Sales Managers $131,040 $63.00 17,400
Natural Sciences Managers $130,190 $62.59 3,240
Ship Engineers $130,180 $62.59 690
Training and Development Managers $129,740 $62.38 1,540
Database Architects $128,650 $61.85 1,130
17-2121 $128,470 $61.76 470
Software Developers $127,940 $61.51 20,830
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $127,920 $61.50 1,440
Computer Network Architects $127,730 $61.41 1,970
Mechanical Engineers $126,870 $61.00 7,010
Aerospace Engineers $126,690 $60.91 2,600
Public Relations Managers $125,130 $60.16 1,850
Optometrists $124,780 $59.99 930
Veterinarians $124,630 $59.92 1,320
Sales Engineers $124,490 $59.85 1,490
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $123,220 $59.24 360
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $123,150 n/a 640
Information Security Analysts $120,170 $57.77 2,040
Medical and Health Services Managers $119,990 $57.69 13,050
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $116,990 $56.25 1,120
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $116,620 $56.07 2,850
Industrial Engineers $116,170 $55.85 8,210
Computer Systems Analysts $114,260 $54.93 9,500
Facilities Managers $112,320 $54.00 3,010
Database Administrators $111,390 $53.55 1,080
Physical Therapists $111,070 $53.40 3,840
Environmental Engineers $110,500 $53.12 640
Chemists $110,300 $53.03 2,640
Electrical Engineers $110,210 $52.99 4,910
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $110,030 $52.90 1,390
General and Operations Managers $108,090 $51.97 105,830
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary $107,190 n/a 1,510
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other $106,950 $51.42 290
Computer Occupations, All Other $104,330 $50.16 11,510
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $103,280 $49.66 6,200
Radiation Therapists $103,220 $49.63 470

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
General and Operations Managers 105,830 $108,090 $51.97
Fast Food and Counter Workers 89,540 $26,960 $12.96
Retail Salespersons 75,920 $30,260 $14.55
Registered Nurses 65,300 $97,810 $47.02
Customer Service Representatives 64,180 $39,310 $18.90
Stockers and Order Fillers 63,070 $36,200 $17.40
Cashiers 61,310 $28,460 $13.68
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 60,390 $22,820 $10.97
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 52,970 $37,600 $18.08
Waiters and Waitresses 52,610 $26,830 $12.90
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 49,210 $55,500 $26.68
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 47,130 $30,360 $14.59
Office Clerks, General 45,420 $38,040 $18.29
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 39,110 $66,340 $31.89
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 33,190 $45,790 $22.01
Construction Laborers 33,070 $38,510 $18.51
Cooks, Restaurant 32,020 $33,760 $16.23
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 31,710 $61,950 n/a
Project Management Specialists 30,830 $97,990 $47.11
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 30,550 $46,080 $22.15

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

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?

The median across all occupations is $48,490, or $23.31 an hour, covering 3,246,360 wage and salary workers. The mean is $66,280, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pay more than the rest of Texas?

Yes. The metro median of $48,490 is 2.1% above 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?

Nurse Anesthetists ($235,490), 29-1211 ($202,830), Pediatricians, General ($187,590). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands unusually full of?

Petroleum Engineers, at 12.71× 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.