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News Release Information

25-1431-DAL
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

County Employment and Wages in Texas — First Quarter 2025

Employment rose in 25 of the 28 largest counties in Texas from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Comal County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Among the 28 largest counties in Texas, employment was highest in Harris (2,446,200) in March 2025. Together, the 28 largest counties accounted for 80.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 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 first quarter 2025

Average weekly wages rose in 26 of the 28 large counties in Texas over the year. (See chart 2.) Cameron had the largest gain (+6.0 percent), while Fort Bend had the largest loss (-0.6 percent). Over-the-year wage changes among Texas’ other 26 large counties ranged from 5.8 percent to -0.2 percent.


Weekly wages in 6 of the 28 largest counties in Texas were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages in six of these counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Midland ($1,998, 26th), Travis ($1,991, 28th), Harris ($1,967, 31st), Collin ($1,945, 32nd), Dallas ($1,934, 33rd), and Williamson ($1,779, 45th). Average weekly wages from the 22 other counties ranged from $1,501 in Tarrant to $820 in Hidalgo.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first 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 211 of the 226 smaller counties were below the national average. Irion reported the highest average weekly wage ($2,213). Menard reported the lowest average weekly wage ($664) in the state.

Among all 254 Texas counties, 50 reported average weekly wages of $924 or lower, 66 registered wages from $925 to $1,049, 57 had wages from $1,050 to $1,174, 27 had wages from $1,175 to $1,299, and 54 had average weekly wages of $1,300 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Texas, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 28 largest counties in Texas, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 -- 1,587 13 3.1 42

Bell

6.5 130.0 -0.2 246 1,265 232 5.2 49

Bexar

45.0 933.0 0.7 127 1,354 182 2.9 217

Brazoria

6.8 123.5 0.3 175 1,362 178 1.1 322

Brazos

5.2 127.4 2.0 22 1,067 349 3.3 173

Cameron

7.1 155.1 -0.5 287 887 371 6.0 27

Collin

34.8 553.0 1.5 41 1,945 32 5.8 31

Comal

5.2 76.3 2.8 7 1,183 293 3.0 207

Dallas

82.4 1,808.3 0.6 141 1,934 33 3.8 132

Denton

20.7 318.0 0.7 127 1,364 177 4.8 67

Ector

4.3 80.1 0.8 105 1,481 114 2.3 268

El Paso

16.6 335.3 0.8 105 996 363 2.2 277

Fort Bend

18.4 257.4 -0.5 287 1,261 238 -0.6 344

Galveston

6.8 124.6 0.7 127 1,249 250 3.7 138

Harris

122.2 2,446.2 0.5 155 1,967 31 3.0 207

Hays

6.4 96.7 1.3 56 1,057 352 2.1 284

Hidalgo

14.1 295.6 0.8 105 820 372 1.9 296

Jefferson

5.7 126.6 1.6 32 1,469 121 5.1 53

Lubbock

8.2 152.7 0.3 175 1,078 347 3.1 199

McLennan

5.9 122.3 0.2 189 1,202 279 4.3 94

Midland

6.4 119.6 0.8 105 1,998 26 1.6 309

Montgomery

15.3 232.7 2.1 16 1,500 109 2.2 277

Nueces

8.4 164.9 1.2 66 1,197 284 1.6 309

Potter

4.0 78.1 0.1 209 1,155 316 1.1 322

Smith

6.8 115.3 1.0 82 1,127 326 3.0 207

Tarrant

49.8 1,006.6 0.6 141 1,501 108 3.2 187

Travis

51.1 915.3 0.6 141 1,991 28 2.4 257

Webb

5.9 108.1 0.4 167 907 370 4.6 81

Williamson

15.7 235.3 1.5 41 1,779 45 -0.2 341

(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, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

Texas

847,604 14,015,912 1,587

Anderson

1,607 20,192 1,185

Andrews

537 7,719 1,534

Angelina

1,920 35,556 989

Aransas

696 6,185 867

Archer

246 1,918 972

Armstrong

87 530 1,023

Atascosa

936 14,671 1,285

Austin

1,488 13,548 1,395

Bailey

236 2,316 982

Bandera

506 3,769 848

Bastrop

1,841 23,222 1,053

Baylor

186 1,537 978

Bee

558 8,414 898

Bell

6,489 129,959 1,265

Bexar

44,984 932,987 1,354

Blanco

501 4,098 1,274

Borden

73 351 1,431

Bosque

386 3,738 1,180

Bowie

2,450 42,229 1,029

Brazoria

6,789 123,473 1,362

Brazos

5,244 127,383 1,067

Brewster

447 4,612 1,018

Briscoe

73 347 944

Brooks

151 2,094 1,169

Brown

947 15,680 971

Burleson

432 5,023 1,116

Burnet

1,700 17,043 1,093

Caldwell

878 10,907 1,062

Calhoun

650 13,962 1,619

Callahan

339 2,930 912

Cameron

7,144 155,068 887

Camp

283 3,950 927

Carson

188 6,779 1,979

Cass

565 8,016 918

Castro

294 2,878 884

Chambers

933 23,284 1,532

Cherokee

881 15,256 990

Childress

229 2,936 987

Clay

201 1,676 906

Cochran

122 634 1,177

Coke

107 862 1,303

Coleman

249 2,157 888

Collin

34,821 552,951 1,945

Collingsworth

115 754 932

Colorado

636 7,359 1,021

Comal

5,191 76,322 1,183

Comanche

390 4,461 919

Concho

91 991 1,517

Cooke

1,122 16,529 1,297

Coryell

998 15,070 1,067

Cottle

165 751 1,535

Crane

112 1,395 1,456

Crockett

192 1,278 1,148

Crosby

173 1,028 862

Culberson

108 1,561 2,006

Dallam

399 4,820 1,075

Dallas

82,438 1,808,341 1,934

Dawson

475 4,129 1,097

Deaf Smith

483 8,292 1,043

Delta

113 982 818

Denton

20,715 317,955 1,364

DeWitt

568 6,886 1,092

Dickens

65 460 972

Dimmit

315 5,701 1,447

Donley

123 898 828

Duval

192 3,687 789

Eastland

540 5,701 979

Ector

4,285 80,068 1,481

Edwards

70 491 820

Ellis

3,977 63,448 1,149

El Paso

16,563 335,275 996

Erath

1,284 19,575 924

Falls

304 3,016 1,042

Fannin

640 8,960 1,051

Fayette

850 9,299 1,032

Fisher

115 806 1,097

Floyd

244 1,432 892

Foard

59 400 862

Fort Bend

18,354 257,354 1,261

Franklin

507 3,751 1,015

Freestone

397 5,001 1,122

Frio

383 6,213 1,244

Gaines

672 7,102 1,234

Galveston

6,848 124,579 1,249

Garza

175 1,369 939

Gillespie

1,243 12,482 989

Glasscock

138 891 1,913

Goliad

161 1,450 1,148

Gonzales

545 7,290 1,077

Gray

546 7,545 1,187

Grayson

3,202 52,280 1,174

Gregg

4,248 75,561 1,164

Grimes

607 8,305 1,198

Guadalupe

2,749 49,529 1,174

Hale

843 10,764 1,006

Hall

132 712 704

Hamilton

279 2,835 877

Hansford

229 2,094 1,069

Hardeman

127 1,344 834

Hardin

952 12,189 1,042

Harris

122,168 2,446,189 1,967

Harrison

1,440 21,128 1,335

Hartley

153 2,574 1,005

Haskell

190 1,421 945

Hays

6,362 96,701 1,057

Hemphill

189 1,312 1,279

Henderson

1,656 19,865 1,014

Hidalgo

14,062 295,631 820

Hill

833 11,761 1,077

Hockley

610 9,215 1,467

Hood

1,713 18,415 1,003

Hopkins

966 14,491 1,066

Houston

955 7,476 1,313

Howard

899 12,767 1,314

Hudspeth

77 1,133 1,535

Hunt

1,805 33,259 1,256

Hutchinson

446 7,483 1,677

Irion

76 807 2,213

Jack

249 2,231 1,151

Jackson

409 5,381 1,111

Jasper

652 9,083 1,043

Jeff Davis

87 832 836

Jefferson

5,747 126,585 1,469

Jim Hogg

128 1,640 1,167

Jim Wells

861 14,768 944

Johnson

4,080 60,063 1,130

Jones

343 3,269 984

Karnes

401 6,116 1,613

Kaufman

2,673 44,570 1,062

Kendall

1,965 20,291 1,220

Kenedy

28 230 1,437

Kent

29 356 842

Kerr

1,535 19,485 1,079

Kimble

160 1,182 839

King

27 279 1,015

Kinney

78 904 1,131

Kleberg

622 12,397 1,065

Knox

143 1,112 936

Lamar

1,344 22,708 1,047

Lamb

411 4,007 1,086

Lampasas

489 5,712 930

La Salle

193 3,224 1,627

Lavaca

493 6,019 962

Lee

462 7,498 1,078

Leon

418 6,122 1,306

Liberty

1,303 20,329 1,079

Limestone

397 8,516 1,285

Lipscomb

92 1,205 1,012

Live Oak

306 3,602 1,451

Llano

623 5,692 1,022

Loving

18 999 2,114

Lubbock

8,198 152,659 1,078

Lynn

184 1,547 1,298

McCulloch

272 2,240 934

McLennan

5,948 122,251 1,202

McMullen

86 507 1,353

Madison

297 4,261 1,015

Marion

167 2,234 890

Martin

242 2,578 1,452

Mason

177 1,132 929

Matagorda

802 11,411 1,287

Maverick

948 18,843 847

Medina

909 11,259 948

Menard

78 427 664

Midland

6,364 119,606 1,998

Milam

525 6,203 1,067

Mills

155 1,376 805

Mitchell

185 2,099 1,454

Montague

510 4,832 932

Montgomery

15,308 232,704 1,500

Moore

539 12,694 1,155

Morris

226 3,292 1,078

Motley

63 306 725

Nacogdoches

1,403 22,350 963

Navarro

1,020 16,827 966

Newton

135 1,261 938

Nolan

416 6,146 1,161

Nueces

8,403 164,883 1,197

Ochiltree

389 4,104 1,095

Oldham

93 888 991

Orange

1,436 25,051 1,311

Palo Pinto

728 8,433 931

Panola

548 7,609 1,193

Parker

3,783 42,367 1,122

Parmer

341 6,386 1,089

Pecos

442 5,363 1,336

Polk

952 13,089 966

Potter

3,979 78,094 1,155

Presidio

198 2,053 1,092

Rains

262 2,304 792

Randall

2,719 36,823 1,106

Reagan

151 1,566 1,453

Real

109 817 752

Red River

245 2,736 841

Reeves

504 7,824 1,699

Refugio

205 2,144 970

Roberts

43 163 797

Robertson

396 5,659 1,234

Rockwall

3,373 42,718 1,115

Runnels

274 3,057 1,087

Rusk

870 13,289 1,116

Sabine

223 2,439 868

San Augustine

152 1,890 1,015

San Jacinto

303 2,500 871

San Patricio

1,206 21,646 1,273

San Saba

204 1,541 906

Schleicher

84 689 1,013

Scurry

467 6,549 1,526

Shackelford

137 1,255 1,404

Shelby

604 8,716 989

Sherman

134 1,093 1,062

Smith

6,825 115,345 1,127

Somervell

264 3,861 1,827

Starr

663 15,128 773

Stephens

310 3,287 892

Sterling

85 524 1,173

Stonewall

68 714 1,011

Sutton

160 1,130 1,466

Swisher

181 1,800 876

Tarrant

49,791 1,006,631 1,501

Taylor

3,828 68,364 1,114

Terrell

47 272 1,210

Terry

352 3,090 923

Throckmorton

68 402 811

Titus

844 17,788 1,027

Tom Green

3,020 49,847 1,098

Travis

51,073 915,323 1,991

Trinity

226 2,462 783

Tyler

339 4,124 950

Upshur

579 7,700 954

Upton

127 3,206 1,979

Uvalde

709 9,816 911

Val Verde

924 18,254 953

Van Zandt

1,124 12,823 869

Victoria

2,387 36,335 1,089

Walker

1,151 26,318 1,044

Waller

1,154 27,798 1,210

Ward

397 6,298 1,698

Washington

1,082 16,715 1,014

Webb

5,949 108,095 907

Wharton

1,144 16,406 1,022

Wheeler

197 1,679 906

Wichita

3,283 52,573 1,016

Wilbarger

330 5,909 924

Willacy

309 4,340 869

Williamson

15,731 235,265 1,779

Wilson

910 9,630 1,029

Winkler

234 4,309 1,842

Wise

1,667 21,489 1,142

Wood

948 10,635 933

Yoakum

276 3,242 1,830

Young

600 6,880 1,092

Zapata

170 2,967 757

Zavala

176 2,323 926

(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, first quarter 2025
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands)
Percent change,
March
2024–25
First quarter
2025 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
first quarter
2024–25
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 (3) 3.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 (3) 2.7 (3)

(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025