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Whether it’s football, barbecue, or swagger, bigger is part of the Texas brand. But what about salaries? After accounting for regional price variations, state-to-state pay differences often narrow, but they do not disappear. Sometimes, earning a bigger paycheck may be as simple as crossing state lines.
SmartAsset evaluated more than 700 occupations to identify the 15 with the biggest “Texas premium” — the jobs for which price-adjusted median annual pay in Texas most exceeds the national median for the same occupation. Also identified are the 15 occupations with the biggest “Texas penalty,” or those for which median annual pay in Texas falls furthest below the national median.
Key Findings
- Geoscientists score the biggest “Texas premium.” Texas’s large petroleum industry helps explain why employers in the state retain so many geoscientists. In fact, the Lone Star State is home to more geoscientists than any other state except California. These highly skilled workers earn 61% more than the national median for their occupation, after adjusting for regional price parity.
- On the sea and in the air, Texans earn more. Commercial airline pilots, sailors, and ship captains all earn Texas-sized paychecks, with employees in these three professions earning 27% to 37% more than the national median for their occupations, after adjusting for regional price parity.
- Texas is a major employer of home health aides, but not a major payer. More home health aides work in Texas than in nearly any other state, with only California and New York employing more. However, the more than 300,000 Texans in this occupation earn median annual pay that is about 31% below the national median, after adjusting for regional price parity.
- Mixed pay picture in health care jobs. While some health-related occupations, including home health aides, cardiovascular technicians, and medical transcriptionists, earn less in Texas than they do nationwide, that’s not true across the board. For physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, and postsecondary nursing instructors, Texas may be an especially strong place to work, with these occupations offering “Texas premiums” of between 17% and 26%.
Jobs with the Biggest “Texas Premiums”
- Geoscientist
Number of jobs in Texas: 3,620
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $159,903
Difference from national median salary: 61% - Commercial Pilot
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,030
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $167,727
Difference from national median salary: 37% - Sailor
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,600
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $67,614
Difference from national median salary: 36% - Aircraft Structure Assembler
Number of jobs in Texas: 3,260
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $83,519
Difference from national median salary: 35% - Ship Captain
Number of jobs in Texas: 4,090
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $108,905
Difference from national median salary: 27% - Nursing Instructor (Postsecondary)
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,940
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $100,484
Difference from national median salary: 26% - Tax Preparer
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,930
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $63,321
Difference from national median salary: 25% - Chemist
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,490
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $104,241
Difference from national median salary: 24% - Health Instructor (Postsecondary)
Number of jobs in Texas: 22,840
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $128,680
Difference from national median salary: 22% - Engineering Instructor (Postsecondary)
Number of jobs in Texas: 4,740
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $129,030
Difference from national median salary: 22% - Physical Therapy Assistant
Number of jobs in Texas: 11,230
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $78,495
Difference from national median salary: 20% - Electrician Helper
Number of jobs in Texas: 8,170
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $47,231
Difference from national median salary: 18% - Occupational Therapy Assistant
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,660
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $80,204
Difference from national median salary: 17% - Ticketing Agent
Number of jobs in Texas: 20,450
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $47,921
Difference from national median salary: 16% - Health and Safety Engineer
Number of jobs in Texas: 3,180
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $126,642
Difference from national median salary: 15%
Jobs with the Biggest “Texas Penalties”
- Editor
Number of jobs in Texas: 8,190
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $29,710
Difference from national median salary: -61% - Home Health Aide
Number of jobs in Texas: 314,610
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $24,161
Difference from national median salary: -31% - Cardiovascular Technician
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,130
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $49,382
Difference from national median salary: -27% - Semiconductor Processing Technician
Number of jobs in Texas: 7,390
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $38,295
Difference from national median salary: -25% - Tutor
Number of jobs in Texas: 9,790
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $30,060
Difference from national median salary: -25% - Control and Valve Installer
Number of jobs in Texas: 8,470
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $56,496
Difference from national median salary: -24% - Mental Health Social Worker
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,810
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $46,109
Difference from national median salary: -23% - Clinical Psychologist
Number of jobs in Texas: 3,410
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $74,449
Difference from national median salary: -22% - Producer / Director
Number of jobs in Texas: 7,270
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $65,267
Difference from national median salary: -22% - Interpreter / Translator
Number of jobs in Texas: 5,820
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $46,953
Difference from national median salary: -21% - Substitute Teacher
Number of jobs in Texas: 40,930
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $30,482
Difference from national median salary: -21% - Self-Enrichment Teacher
Number of jobs in Texas: 15,680
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $36,175
Difference from national median salary: -21% - Medical Transcriptionist
Number of jobs in Texas: 4,480
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $29,936
Difference from national median salary: -20% - Medical Scientist
Number of jobs in Texas: 11,450
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $80,719
Difference from national median salary: -20% - Correctional Officer Supervisor
Number of jobs in Texas: 4,460
Median annual salary in Texas (price-adjusted): $61,344
Difference from national median salary: -20%
Methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational wage data for May 2024, the most recent period available, was analyzed for both Texas and the United States. Texas median salaries were adjusted for regional price parity (RPP) using a factor of 97.14 (U.S. = 100), dividing nominal salaries by 0.9714 to express values in real, nationally comparable dollars. Some occupations were excluded, including occupations in residual (“all others”) categories and occupations employing fewer than 3,000 Texas workers. Comparable data was not available for occupations with a wage greater than $115 / hour. In some cases, occupation titles were modified from BLS Standard Occupational Classification titles for presentation purposes; the underlying occupation definitions and codes were unchanged. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.
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