Texas Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across Texas.
The average salary in Texas is $99,217 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2024 data aggregated across 3 metropolitan areas (Austin, Dallas, Houston). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Computer and Information Systems Manager at $169,989 median; 26 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 101, the average median equates to $98,235 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Texas
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 53,790 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($173,300)
Financial Manager
Finance · 48,870 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($168,100)
Marketing Manager
Management · 32,560 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($162,150)
Lawyer
Legal · 40,140 jobs in state · top metro: Dallas ($157,340)
Pharmacist
Healthcare · 14,240 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($141,500)
Sales Manager
Management · 53,730 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($141,430)
Physician Assistant
Healthcare · 6,140 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($151,570)
Human Resources Manager
Management · 10,400 jobs in state · top metro: Houston ($136,110)
Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare · 12,550 jobs in state · top metro: Houston ($133,140)
Computer Network Architect
Technology · 11,470 jobs in state · top metro: Austin ($132,790)
Cities in Texas
Austin, TX
52 occupations tracked · COL index: 103
Dallas, TX
51 occupations tracked · COL index: 104.1
Houston, TX
52 occupations tracked · COL index: 96.5
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in Texas is $99,217 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2024 release aggregated across 3 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Computer and Information Systems Manager at $169,989 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in Texas, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Computer and Information Systems Manager ($169,989), Financial Manager ($165,136), Marketing Manager ($149,724), Lawyer ($145,398), Pharmacist ($138,827). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/texas.
26 of the 52 BLS-tracked occupations in Texas have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally.
Austin, TX leads Texas with an average median salary of $100,394 across 52 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across Texas's tracked metros is 101 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $99,217 translates to $98,235 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. COL is roughly in line with the national average.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Texas, using the OEWS 2024 reference period.
155 data points · BLS OEWS 2024 · last refreshed 2026-05-08