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County Employment and Wages in Texas — Third Quarter 2025
Employment rose in 21 of the 28 largest counties in Texas from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that Hays County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among selected large counties in Texas, September 2025
County
Percent change, September 2025
Hays
2.7
Collin
1.7
Nueces
1.7
Montgomery
1.6
Travis
1.6
Smith
1.5
Fort Bend
1.1
Comal
0.9
Galveston
0.9
Bell
0.8
Brazoria
0.2
Webb
0.2
Jefferson
0.1
Tarrant
0.0
Denton
-0.1
Bexar
-0.2
Harris
-0.3
Ector
-1.0
Midland
-1.0
Cameron
-1.7
Among the 28 largest counties in Texas, employment was highest in Harris (2,442,000) in September 2025. Together, the 28 largest counties accounted for 80.3 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)
Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025
Average weekly wages rose in 27 of the 28 large Texas counties over the year. (See chart 2.) Brazoria and Brazos had the largest increase (+6.0 percent), while Midland had the only loss (-8.0 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Texas' 25 other large counties ranged from 5.8 percent to 1.6 percent.
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among selected large counties in Texas, third quarter 2025
County
Percent change, third quarter 2025
Brazoria
6.0
Brazos
6.0
McLennan
5.8
Jefferson
5.4
Travis
5.2
Fort Bend
4.9
Comal
4.8
Collin
4.6
Galveston
4.5
Hays
4.5
Montgomery
3.5
Potter
3.5
Lubbock
3.3
El Paso
3.1
Tarrant
3.0
Webb
2.5
Harris
2.4
Hidalgo
2.3
Ector
1.6
Midland
-8.0
Weekly wages in 6 of the 28 largest counties in Texas were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,891 in Travis to $836 in Hidalgo.
Smaller county average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2025
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 226 small counties in Texas, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 206 of the 226 smaller counties were below the national average. Borden reported the highest average weekly wage ($2,491). Menard reported the lowest average weekly wage ($709) in the state.
Among all 254 Texas counties, 43 reported average weekly wages of lower than $925, 69 had wages from $925 to $1,049, 61 had wages from $1,050 to $1,174, 37 had wages from $1,175 to $1,299, and 44 had average weekly wages of $1,300 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)
Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Texas, third quarter 2025
(U.S. average = $1,459)
Additional statistics and other information
QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications. (3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Texas, third quarter 2025
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2025
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data. (2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. (3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
United States Department of Labor
