Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Houston, TX Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Houston, TX, Texas is $103,352 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 64 occupations and roughly 619,730 workers. Adjusted for Houston, TX's cost-of-living index of 96.5, that nominal average translates to $107,101 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Computer and Information Systems Manager at $172,160; the lowest is Carpenter at $49,670.
Houston, TX, TX sits near the national cost-of-living baseline (index 96.5). 64 occupations are reported here with median wages averaging $103,352.
Highest-paying role in Houston, TX on BLS data is Computer and Information Systems Manager at $172,160 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Cities at the national cost-of-living baseline are useful reference points for cross-region comparisons — the gross wage and adjusted wage are roughly equivalent, so headline comparisons work.
Salaries by Occupation in Houston, TX
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $172,160 | $106,600 – $275,130 | 13,090 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $166,910 | $102,400 – $310,750 | 18,570 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $157,980 | $80,210 – $363,120 | 16,810 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $153,030 | $80,760 – $259,100 | 8,930 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $142,110 | $88,380 – $224,150 | 5,890 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $140,470 | $83,200 – $170,170 | 6,410 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $137,240 | $90,920 – $168,240 | 2,390 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $135,880 | $68,680 – $269,000 | 16,430 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $134,560 | $96,880 – $158,830 | 5,970 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $134,050 | $69,840 – $199,830 | 380 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $132,280 | $81,390 – $207,660 | 1,340 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $131,070 | $77,170 – $207,990 | 5,770 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $130,270 | $63,700 – $195,190 | 3,490 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $129,440 | $80,400 – $181,770 | 22,940 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $126,370 | $74,290 – $178,560 | 2,110 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $125,350 | $79,470 – $198,730 | 8,310 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $124,900 | $67,020 – $171,760 | 2,200 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $124,640 | $96,020 – $162,010 | 1,250 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $124,400 | $73,410 – $206,550 | 12,410 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $124,190 | $73,300 – $377,000 | 1,040 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $119,600 | $50,490 – $296,070 | 97,320 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $116,030 | $60,730 – $159,890 | 1,090 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $113,440 | $70,910 – $168,540 | 8,510 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $111,690 | $73,840 – $174,320 | 8,620 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $107,700 | $78,250 – $142,570 | 4,680 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $106,750 | $62,980 – $167,230 | 4,060 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $105,440 | $49,500 – $173,590 | 11,460 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $105,430 | $77,910 – $137,340 | 210 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $104,930 | $85,550 – $108,590 | 3,060 |
| Statistician | Technology | $104,330 | $64,480 – $165,010 | 400 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $104,320 | $48,730 – $196,200 | 1,270 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $103,580 | $78,790 – $140,720 | 2,700 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $101,660 | $66,730 – $174,220 | 6,510 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $101,430 | $66,770 – $157,980 | 6,330 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $101,120 | $63,170 – $169,570 | 9,050 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $100,950 | $67,250 – $168,240 | 12,140 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $100,400 | $69,650 – $135,580 | 3,780 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $99,830 | $74,860 – $130,440 | 65,910 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $98,930 | $49,120 – $323,990 | 4,130 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $98,690 | $51,800 – $147,360 | 2,420 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $98,570 | $76,790 – $306,110 | 1,660 |
| Architect | Engineering | $97,590 | $60,690 – $147,470 | 2,360 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $96,750 | $55,060 – $165,700 | 830 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $96,440 | $56,180 – $145,510 | 1,340 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $89,040 | $52,000 – $143,640 | 1,060 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $86,380 | $60,120 – $171,580 | 2,500 |
| Accountant | Finance | $85,090 | $58,780 – $144,190 | 28,400 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $83,050 | $72,000 – $374,400 | 300 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $82,990 | $51,150 – $169,810 | 650 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $76,120 | $48,670 – $116,090 | 400 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $74,140 | $49,600 – $104,990 | 1,990 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $68,320 | $40,290 – $109,640 | 5,160 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $67,560 | $26,160 – $172,540 | 3,410 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $67,370 | $26,950 – $125,760 | 14,480 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $65,540 | $56,760 – $80,470 | 26,260 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $64,500 | $46,390 – $74,430 | 30,980 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $62,730 | $42,160 – $101,370 | 7,320 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $61,350 | $39,410 – $98,500 | 7,410 |
| Plumber | Trades | $61,300 | $39,920 – $85,680 | 10,980 |
| Electrician | Trades | $59,180 | $38,800 – $84,470 | 19,730 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $58,400 | $34,270 – $90,590 | 2,770 |
| Welder | Trades | $57,940 | $38,480 – $81,940 | 15,850 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $50,940 | $29,380 – $83,180 | 14,910 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $49,670 | $39,470 – $68,500 | 9,600 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Houston, TX is Computer and Information Systems Manager, with a median of $172,160 and a 90th-percentile reading of $275,130. That $168,530 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 64 BLS-tracked occupations in Houston, TX, the average median salary is $103,352. The top five roles average $158,438 — about 1.5× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Houston, TX sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 96.5). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Houston, TX
For salary negotiation in Houston, TX, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 96.5 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Houston, TX Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Houston, TX, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (96.5) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Houston, TX in 2026?
The average salary in Houston, TX is $103,352 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 64 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $103,352. The top-paying role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at $172,160.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Houston, TX?
In Houston, TX, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $103,627 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 96.5). That is above $100K of buying power — a $100K salary stretches further in Houston, TX than in most U.S. metros. Compared to the city's average median of $103,352, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Houston, TX?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Houston, TX are Computer and Information Systems Manager ($172,160), Financial Manager ($166,910), Lawyer ($157,980), and Marketing Manager ($153,030). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $134,050 to $172,160. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/houston.
How does Houston, TX's cost of living affect salaries?
Houston, TX has a cost-of-living index of 96.5, 4% below the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $103,352 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $107,101 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Houston, TX?
Across the 64 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Houston, TX metro is approximately 619,730. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Houston, TX salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Houston, TX MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 64 occupations · COL Index 96.5.