Where Wages are Growing — and Falling — in Texas

Everything’s bigger in Texas, but when it comes to income, some parts of the Lone Star State are more synonymous with Texas-sized paychecks than others. Economic opportunity can vary sharply by county, shaping how far earnings go and where workers see the strongest gains.

SmartAsset compared average weekly wages for private-sector workers across 252 of Texas’ 254 counties to identify where wages have grown the most and least over the past five years. Because average weekly wages can be more volatile in smaller counties, where a shift at a few businesses can move the mean dramatically, readers may find it useful to consider regional patterns alongside individual county results.

Key Findings

High Plains and West Texas counties lead for wage growth. The largest percent changes in average weekly wages were in small counties in the High Plains and West Texas designated economic regions, where changes at just a few employers can move the county figure significantly. Nine of the 15 top counties for five-year change in average weekly wages are in those two regions: Armstrong, Borden, Briscoe, Coke, Concho, Dickens, Glasscock, Lamb and Sterling.
This data center hub sees the largest wage growth among counties with a population of 100,000 or more. Since 2021, the average weekly wage in Ellis County has grown 58% in nominal dollars, ranking it No. 24 statewide for wage growth. Ellis County is the site of more than a dozen planned or operational data centers, including two major Google facilities.
Coke County records the highest average weekly wage in Texas for 2026. Among private-sector workers, the average weekly wage was $2,408, ranking the small West Texas County No. 1 in the state. A 2023 report by the Texas Association of Counties records Coke County as having “the biggest increase in economic output of any county in the United States,” with economic growth driven by the Aviator wind farm.
Among Texas counties with populations of at least 100,000, Travis County has the highest average weekly wage in the state. As of 2026, private-sector workers in Travis County earn an average of $2,152 per week.

Questions and Answers

Where in Texas have wages grown the most?

The largest percent increases in average weekly wages from 2021 to 2026 were concentrated in small High Plains and West Texas counties. Nine of the 15 top-ranked counties were in those two regions. Those averages can swing sharply because employment bases are small.

In which Texas county is the average wage highest?

Coke County. In the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, the average weekly wage was $2,408. Among counties with a population of 100,000 or more, Travis County has the highest average weekly wage. The average weekly wage in Travis County in Q1 of 2026 was $2,152.

What jobs pay better in Texas than in other parts of the United States?

A 2026 SmartAsset study found that the median annual earnings of geoscientists and commercial pilots in Texas were 61% and 37% more than the national medians for those professions, after adjusting for regional price differences. These were among the occupations with the biggest Texas pay “premiums.”

What jobs pay worse in Texas than in other parts of the United States?

A 2026 SmartAsset study found that the median annual earnings of editors and home health aides in Texas were 61% and 31% less than the national medians for those professions, after adjusting for regional price differences. These were among the occupations with the biggest Texas pay “penalties.”

Methodology

Average weekly wages for private-sector workers in 252 of Texas’ 254 counties were compared using first-quarter 2021 and 2026 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Figures are nominal and not adjusted for inflation. Average weekly wages may change because of shifts in worker pay, employment composition or both; because no minimum population or employment threshold was applied when ranking counties, wages in the smallest and most industry-concentrated counties can swing by 30% or more between consecutive BLS releases as individual large employers open, close, or relocate, so rankings for counties at the extremes should be read as point-in-time snapshots rather than stable trends. Data was unavailable for Loving and Roberts counties. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.