TexasNo state income taxCOL index: 91

Salaries in Houston, TX

Houston, Texas offers career opportunities with no state income tax. Browse salary data for every major occupation below — all figures are Houston-specific, updated quarterly from BLS and H-1B disclosures.

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Population

2,304,580

COL index

91 / 100

Avg 1BR rent

$1,250/mo

State income tax

None ✓

Technology salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Software Engineer	$95K	$130K	$165K	$210K	+4.2%
Data Scientist	$100K	$138K	$175K	$220K	+5.1%
Product Manager	$110K	$148K	$190K	$240K	+3.8%
DevOps Engineer	$105K	$140K	$178K	$215K	+6.2%
Cybersecurity Analyst	$85K	$115K	$148K	$185K	+7.3%
UX Designer	$72K	$99K	$130K	$165K	+3.1%
Machine Learning Engineer	$125K	$168K	$215K	$275K	+8.4%
Cloud Architect	$130K	$170K	$215K	$265K	+6.8%
Frontend Developer	$82K	$112K	$145K	$185K	+4.5%
Backend Developer	$90K	$125K	$160K	$200K	+4.3%
Full Stack Developer	$88K	$120K	$155K	$195K	+4.6%
Mobile Developer	$90K	$125K	$162K	$205K	+5.2%
Data Engineer	$98K	$132K	$168K	$210K	+6.5%
Data Analyst	$60K	$82K	$108K	$140K	+4%
Database Administrator	$78K	$105K	$135K	$170K	+2.8%
Systems Administrator	$62K	$86K	$112K	$142K	+2.2%
Network Engineer	$75K	$100K	$130K	$165K	+3%
IT Manager	$100K	$135K	$172K	$215K	+3.5%
Scrum Master	$88K	$115K	$145K	$180K	+3.2%
Solutions Architect	$120K	$158K	$200K	$250K	+5.8%
AI Engineer	$130K	$175K	$225K	$290K	+12%
Blockchain Developer	$110K	$150K	$195K	$250K	+7.5%
QA Engineer	$70K	$95K	$125K	$158K	+3%
Site Reliability Engineer	$115K	$152K	$192K	$238K	+7%
Embedded Systems Engineer	$85K	$112K	$142K	$178K	+3.8%
Technical Writer	$58K	$79K	$102K	$130K	+2.5%
IT Support Specialist	$42K	$58K	$76K	$98K	+2%
Information Security Manager	$115K	$152K	$195K	$245K	+7.8%
Penetration Tester	$88K	$118K	$152K	$195K	+8.2%
Computer Vision Engineer	$120K	$162K	$208K	$265K	+9.5%
NLP Engineer	$125K	$168K	$215K	$272K	+10.2%
Game Developer	$72K	$98K	$132K	$172K	+4.8%
Salesforce Developer	$90K	$120K	$155K	$195K	+5.5%
ERP Consultant	$85K	$115K	$150K	$190K	+3.8%

Healthcare salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Registered Nurse	$70K	$89K	$112K	$140K	+3.5%
Physician Assistant	$117K	$140K	$167K	$200K	+4.8%
Physical Therapist	$81K	$103K	$124K	$151K	+3.2%
Healthcare Administrator	$78K	$112K	$151K	$200K	+4.1%
Nurse Practitioner	$108K	$131K	$157K	$189K	+5.2%
Pharmacist	$127K	$143K	$160K	$178K	+1.2%
Medical Doctor	$211K	$268K	$346K	$454K	+2.8%
Dentist	$160K	$194K	$243K	$313K	+2.5%
Occupational Therapist	$78K	$97K	$119K	$143K	+3.8%
Radiologist	$313K	$410K	$508K	$605K	+2.2%
Surgeon	$302K	$410K	$540K	$702K	+2.5%
Anesthesiologist	$324K	$421K	$518K	$626K	+2.1%
Medical Lab Technician	$45K	$60K	$78K	$97K	+3.2%
Respiratory Therapist	$63K	$78K	$97K	$121K	+3.8%
Speech-Language Pathologist	$73K	$92K	$113K	$138K	+4.2%
Clinical Psychologist	$78K	$103K	$135K	$175K	+3.5%
Psychiatrist	$211K	$268K	$335K	$432K	+3.8%
Medical Coder	$45K	$59K	$76K	$95K	+2.8%
ICU Nurse	$84K	$106K	$132K	$162K	+4%
Surgical Technologist	$49K	$63K	$78K	$97K	+3.5%
Paramedic	$41K	$54K	$70K	$89K	+3.2%
Registered Dietitian	$56K	$73K	$93K	$117K	+3.5%
Optometrist	$121K	$149K	$181K	$227K	+2.8%
Genetic Counselor	$78K	$97K	$119K	$146K	+5.8%

Finance salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Financial Analyst	$72K	$101K	$138K	$191K	+3.6%
Accountant	$58K	$83K	$111K	$148K	+2.2%
Investment Banker	$127K	$191K	$297K	$477K	+3.9%
Actuary	$101K	$133K	$172K	$217K	+5.5%
Financial Advisor	$61K	$101K	$157K	$244K	+3.8%
Portfolio Manager	$122K	$172K	$239K	$339K	+4.2%
Risk Analyst	$72K	$98K	$129K	$167K	+4.5%
Tax Manager	$101K	$136K	$175K	$223K	+3%
Financial Controller	$111K	$148K	$193K	$249K	+3.2%
Chief Financial Officer	$186K	$265K	$382K	$551K	+3.5%
Credit Analyst	$55K	$74K	$98K	$127K	+2.8%
Mortgage Loan Officer	$51K	$76K	$114K	$172K	+2.5%
Compliance Officer	$76K	$104K	$138K	$182K	+4.8%
Hedge Fund Analyst	$122K	$175K	$254K	$403K	+3.5%
Private Equity Analyst	$117K	$167K	$239K	$371K	+4%
Quantitative Analyst	$133K	$182K	$244K	$339K	+6.2%
Bookkeeper	$40K	$51K	$64K	$81K	+1%
Budget Analyst	$66K	$87K	$110K	$138K	+2.5%
Insurance Underwriter	$61K	$83K	$108K	$140K	+2%
Venture Capital Analyst	$101K	$143K	$196K	$276K	+5.5%

Engineering salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Mechanical Engineer	$85K	$113K	$146K	$183K	+2.8%
Petroleum Engineer	$130K	$171K	$222K	$283K	+1.5%
Civil Engineer	$80K	$106K	$139K	$177K	+3.4%
Electrical Engineer	$92K	$124K	$160K	$201K	+3.1%
Chemical Engineer	$94K	$127K	$165K	$210K	+2.5%
Aerospace Engineer	$106K	$144K	$186K	$234K	+3.8%
Industrial Engineer	$85K	$113K	$146K	$186K	+3.5%
Environmental Engineer	$80K	$109K	$142K	$179K	+4.2%
Biomedical Engineer	$85K	$116K	$151K	$191K	+5.2%
Structural Engineer	$83K	$109K	$142K	$179K	+3.2%
Nuclear Engineer	$112K	$148K	$186K	$234K	+2.2%
Materials Engineer	$85K	$116K	$151K	$191K	+3%
Geotechnical Engineer	$80K	$106K	$139K	$177K	+3.5%
Controls Engineer	$92K	$123K	$158K	$198K	+4%
Manufacturing Engineer	$83K	$112K	$144K	$183K	+3.2%
Process Engineer	$85K	$116K	$151K	$191K	+3.5%
Quality Engineer	$77K	$104K	$136K	$175K	+3%

Business salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Marketing Manager	$81K	$114K	$158K	$208K	+3.3%
Human Resources Manager	$78K	$108K	$146K	$187K	+2.9%
Project Manager	$75K	$102K	$137K	$177K	+3.7%
Operations Manager	$71K	$102K	$140K	$187K	+2.5%
Business Analyst	$64K	$88K	$116K	$151K	+3.8%
Management Consultant	$83K	$120K	$168K	$234K	+4.2%
Supply Chain Manager	$81K	$112K	$148K	$189K	+4.5%
Sales Manager	$75K	$109K	$158K	$224K	+3.5%
Account Executive	$57K	$81K	$116K	$168K	+3.8%
Chief Executive Officer	$161K	$244K	$395K	$645K	+3.2%
Chief Operating Officer	$151K	$218K	$333K	$499K	+3%
Chief Marketing Officer	$151K	$218K	$320K	$478K	+3.5%
General Manager	$78K	$112K	$158K	$218K	+2.8%
Logistics Coordinator	$44K	$58K	$75K	$96K	+3.5%
Purchasing Manager	$81K	$112K	$146K	$185K	+2.5%
Digital Marketing Manager	$71K	$99K	$133K	$175K	+5.5%
SEO Specialist	$50K	$68K	$92K	$123K	+5.8%
Content Strategist	$57K	$78K	$104K	$135K	+5.2%
Brand Manager	$75K	$102K	$137K	$179K	+3.5%
Recruiter	$50K	$68K	$92K	$125K	+3.2%
Executive Assistant	$54K	$71K	$92K	$116K	+1.8%
Public Relations Manager	$71K	$99K	$135K	$179K	+3%
Event Planner	$44K	$58K	$78K	$104K	+3.8%

Education salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
K-12 Teacher	$44K	$61K	$80K	$103K	+1.8%
University Professor	$64K	$88K	$127K	$186K	+2.1%
School Principal	$80K	$100K	$123K	$149K	+2.2%
Instructional Designer	$57K	$74K	$96K	$123K	+4.5%
School Counselor	$47K	$61K	$78K	$98K	+3%
Special Education Teacher	$47K	$64K	$82K	$106K	+3.5%
Curriculum Developer	$54K	$71K	$90K	$116K	+3.8%
Education Administrator	$71K	$93K	$120K	$152K	+2.5%
Librarian	$47K	$61K	$78K	$98K	+1.5%
Academic Advisor	$39K	$51K	$67K	$84K	+3%

Legal salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Attorney	$82K	$134K	$218K	$368K	+3.5%
Paralegal	$44K	$59K	$78K	$100K	+3.8%
Corporate Lawyer	$121K	$184K	$294K	$473K	+3.8%
Patent Attorney	$142K	$194K	$260K	$357K	+4.2%
Compliance Lawyer	$105K	$152K	$208K	$278K	+5%
Judge	$100K	$142K	$191K	$252K	+1.5%
Legal Operations Manager	$100K	$137K	$179K	$231K	+6.5%

Construction salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Construction Manager	$86K	$116K	$152K	$198K	+4.5%
Electrician	$57K	$75K	$97K	$127K	+6.2%
Plumber	$57K	$75K	$99K	$130K	+5.5%
HVAC Technician	$53K	$68K	$88K	$112K	+5.8%
Welder	$42K	$55K	$70K	$90K	+3.5%
Carpenter	$46K	$62K	$81K	$105K	+4%
Land Surveyor	$64K	$86K	$112K	$143K	+3.8%
Construction Estimator	$68K	$92K	$121K	$156K	+4.2%

Real Estate salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Real Estate Agent	$38K	$62K	$105K	$180K	+3.5%
Real Estate Broker	$55K	$95K	$162K	$275K	+3.5%
Property Manager	$48K	$65K	$88K	$118K	+3.2%
Real Estate Appraiser	$52K	$72K	$98K	$132K	+2.8%
Commercial Real Estate Analyst	$62K	$88K	$120K	$162K	+4%

Government salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Urban Planner	$60K	$80K	$102K	$130K	+3.8%
Social Worker	$40K	$55K	$72K	$92K	+3.5%
Firefighter	$42K	$58K	$78K	$102K	+2.8%
Police Officer	$48K	$65K	$88K	$115K	+2.5%
Military Officer	$55K	$82K	$115K	$155K	+2%
Public Health Official	$68K	$92K	$120K	$155K	+4.5%
Policy Analyst	$58K	$78K	$102K	$132K	+3.5%
Government Budget Officer	$62K	$82K	$105K	$135K	+2.5%

Science salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Biologist	$58K	$82K	$110K	$147K	+3.5%
Chemist	$61K	$84K	$113K	$149K	+3.2%
Physicist	$82K	$118K	$160K	$210K	+4%
Geologist	$65K	$92K	$124K	$163K	+3.8%
Epidemiologist	$71K	$95K	$124K	$160K	+4.5%
Biochemist	$65K	$92K	$128K	$170K	+4.2%
Environmental Scientist	$58K	$80K	$105K	$139K	+4.8%
Research Scientist	$76K	$103K	$139K	$184K	+4.5%
Pharmaceutical Data Scientist	$110K	$149K	$191K	$239K	+7.5%
Clinical Research Coordinator	$50K	$65K	$84K	$107K	+5.5%
Laboratory Manager	$68K	$92K	$121K	$155K	+3.8%

Creative salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Graphic Designer	$40K	$55K	$74K	$97K	+3%
Art Director	$68K	$95K	$128K	$169K	+2.8%
Video Producer	$46K	$65K	$90K	$128K	+4.2%
Copywriter	$43K	$59K	$81K	$109K	+3.5%
Photographer	$30K	$44K	$65K	$95K	+3%
Animator	$49K	$68K	$93K	$128K	+4.5%
Journalist	$36K	$49K	$68K	$97K	+1.5%
Social Media Manager	$43K	$57K	$78K	$105K	+6.5%
Interior Designer	$40K	$55K	$76K	$103K	+3.2%
Fashion Designer	$46K	$65K	$93K	$138K	+2.5%
Music Producer	$36K	$59K	$100K	$176K	+3.5%
UX Researcher	$78K	$106K	$138K	$176K	+5.5%

Hospitality salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Hotel Manager	$52K	$72K	$98K	$135K	+3.2%
Executive Chef	$52K	$68K	$92K	$128K	+3.8%
Restaurant Manager	$42K	$56K	$74K	$98K	+3.5%
Travel Agent	$35K	$46K	$62K	$85K	+3%
Sommelier	$42K	$58K	$82K	$115K	+3.2%

Retail salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Retail Store Manager	$42K	$58K	$78K	$105K	+2%
Sales Representative	$42K	$62K	$92K	$138K	+3.5%
Retail Buyer	$52K	$72K	$98K	$130K	+2.5%
E-Commerce Manager	$62K	$85K	$115K	$152K	+7.5%
Business Development Manager	$72K	$102K	$140K	$192K	+4.5%

Transportation salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Airline Pilot	$110K	$168K	$247K	$347K	+5.2%
Logistics Manager	$76K	$103K	$137K	$176K	+4.5%
Truck Driver (CDL)	$44K	$55K	$71K	$92K	+4.8%
Transportation Planner	$65K	$86K	$113K	$147K	+4.2%
Fleet Manager	$61K	$82K	$107K	$139K	+4%

Energy salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Energy Engineer	$94K	$126K	$166K	$210K	+6.5%
Solar Installer	$50K	$62K	$82K	$106K	+22%
Wind Turbine Technician	$58K	$72K	$91K	$118K	+45%
Oil & Gas Operations Manager	$132K	$178K	$230K	$298K	+2%
Energy Analyst	$74K	$102K	$134K	$174K	+6%

Nonprofit salaries in Houston

Job title	Entry (25th)	Median	Senior (75th)	Top (90th)	YoY
Nonprofit Executive Director	$62K	$85K	$118K	$165K	+3.2%
Grant Writer	$48K	$62K	$80K	$102K	+3.5%
Fundraising Manager	$52K	$70K	$95K	$130K	+3.8%
Case Manager	$38K	$50K	$64K	$82K	+3.5%
Community Outreach Coordinator	$38K	$50K	$65K	$84K	+3.8%

Working in Houston, Texas: Salary Guide (2026)

Houston is home to the Houston–TX metropolitan area with a population of 2,304,580. The city has a cost of living index of 91 (US average = 100), meaning salaries go approximately 9% further here than in an average US city.

One of the most significant financial advantages of working in Houston is Texas's complete absence of a state income tax. Workers here keep 5–9% more of their earnings compared to peers in California (9.3% state tax), New York (6.85%), or Illinois (4.95%).

Top-paying industries in Houston

Texas's largest industries include energy (particularly oil & gas in the Houston area), technology (Austin is the fastest-growing tech hub in the US), healthcare, and aerospace. Petroleum engineers in Houston earn among the highest salaries in the nation.

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