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News Release Information

22-233-DAL
Monday, March 28, 2022

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

County Employment and Wages in Texas – Third Quarter 2021

Employment rose in 23 of the 24 largest counties in Texas from September 2020 to September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2020.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Midland County and Travis County had the largest over-the-year increases in employment at 10.4 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


National employment increased 4.4 percent over the year, with 332 of the 343 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Honolulu, HI, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 13.3 percent. Jefferson, LA, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 3.2 percent.

Among the 24 largest counties in Texas, employment was highest in Harris County (2,272,500) in September 2021. Within Harris County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the 24 largest Texas counties accounted for 79.0 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 343 largest counties made up 72.3 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 230 counties in Texas with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 216 of the 230 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. (See table 2.)

Large county wage changes

Among the 24 large Texas counties, 23 reported average weekly wage gains from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021. (See chart 2.) Five counties had rates of wage gains that were equal to or above the national rate of 6.7 percent. Travis County had the largest gain (+10.0 percent), followed by Midland County (+8.0 percent), Smith County (+7.7 percent), Dallas County (+7.3 percent), and Bell County (+6.7 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among 18 of Texas’s other large counties ranged from 6.5 percent to 3.0 percent. Williamson County reported a wage decrease of 0.2 percent.


Among the 343 largest counties in the United States, 333 had over-the-year wage increases. San Mateo, CA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+27.2 percent). Union, NJ, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-1.2 percent).

Large county average weekly wages

Weekly wages in 5 of the 24 largest counties in Texas were above the national average of $1,251 in the third quarter of 2021. Average weekly wages in these five counties ranked among the top 50 nationwide: Travis ($1,578, 22nd), Midland ($1,466, 31st), Collin ($1,454, 33rd), Dallas ($1,448, 34th), and Harris ($1,415, 40th).

Among the largest U.S. counties, 85 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the third quarter of 2021. San Mateo, CA, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,710. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 258 counties. At $756 a week, Cameron, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Average weekly wages in Texas's smaller counties

Among the 230 smaller counties in Texas—those with employment below 75,000—Carson County ($1,740) and 13 other counties reported an average weekly wage above the national average. Menard County ($572) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 254 counties in Texas were considered, 21 reported average weekly wages of less than $749, 71 registered wages from $750 to $849, 64 had wages from $850 to $949, 48 had wages from $950 to $1,049, and 50 had average weekly wages of $1,050 or higher. (See chart 3.) The higher-paying counties were located in and around the four metropolitan areas of Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, and Houston, as well as in the Far West Texas region. The lower-paying counties, with weekly wages under $749, were concentrated mainly in the northwestern and central parts of the state.

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.
The County Employment and Wages full data update for fourth quarter 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.


Technical Note

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

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.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 24 largest counties in Texas, third quarter 2021
AreaEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Third quarter
2021
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

11,021.4144,863.94.4--$1,251--6.7--

Texas

770.012,613.15.6--1,227146.718

Bell

6.2122.23.61541,0132646.797

Bexar

44.7861.14.41011,0951905.5180

Brazoria

6.5112.33.31731,1501554.7222

Brazos

5.0109.14.8779203256.5106

Cameron

6.8145.35.6447563436.5106

Collin

31.6462.97.6101,454336.4120

Dallas

84.41,747.45.8371,448347.363

Denton

18.7277.16.5231,0842005.0208

El Paso

16.4308.22.72168503353.9266

Fort Bend

16.8202.96.4241,0202573.0303

Galveston

6.8110.64.8771,0322483.0303

Harris

124.52,272.54.31071,415405.9146

Hidalgo

13.3269.14.9717613425.8156

Jefferson

5.9111.0-0.13331,1331643.0303

Lubbock

8.2142.84.11199283245.2198

McLennan

5.7118.43.51619842885.8156

Midland

6.398.910.441,466318.045

Montgomery

13.8197.75.8371,1671393.8274

Nueces

8.5152.01.92679902854.4244

Smith

6.6104.93.61541,0032697.751

Tarrant

49.2922.75.2551,1861256.0142

Travis

49.8817.38.861,5782210.019

Webb

5.8100.34.41017733414.7222

Williamson

14.3193.56.9171,24091-0.2334

(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. Covered employment and wages includes 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 2021
AreaEstablishmentsEmployment September 2021Average weekly wage (1)

United States (2)

11,021,414144,863,915$1,251

Texas

770,01212,613,0711,227

Anderson

1,67220,1111,046

Andrews

5326,9831,328

Angelina

1,96534,576872

Aransas

6525,854831

Archer

2531,686812

Armstrong

73416784

Atascosa

92712,413992

Austin

1,39211,5881,047

Bailey

2392,489802

Bandera

4893,447770

Bastrop

1,70219,730878

Baylor

1791,457814

Bee

5647,941759

Bell

6,236122,2011,013

Bexar

44,686861,1001,095

Blanco

4423,6521,025

Borden

68422961

Bosque

3933,867866

Bowie

2,43241,607866

Brazoria

6,497112,3331,150

Brazos

5,044109,071920

Brewster

4423,936870

Briscoe

80327655

Brooks

1572,554869

Brown

91614,920811

Burleson

4404,358939

Burnet

1,51415,284961

Caldwell

8328,949820

Calhoun

68012,8681,407

Callahan

2922,487853

Cameron

6,794145,280756

Camp

2813,911851

Carson

1775,5251,740

Cass

5887,715784

Castro

2952,604808

Chambers

81416,7041,174

Cherokee

86814,257784

Childress

2362,604797

Clay

1821,409790

Cochran

124643894

Coke

96662963

Coleman

2422,031720

Collin

31,625462,8821,454

Collingsworth

124792784

Colorado

6467,033910

Comal

4,55365,096970

Comanche

3954,252779

Concho

91909925

Cooke

1,07114,085983

Coryell

1,10615,616883

Cottle

131493924

Crane

1071,1841,090

Crockett

2091,283839

Crosby

1981,159775

Culberson

1071,2271,328

Dallam

4024,228985

Dallas

84,4271,747,3691,448

Dawson

5174,089847

Deaf Smith

4858,137956

Delta

109946609

Denton

18,688277,1141,084

DeWitt

6027,566894

Dickens

65476733

Dimmit

3265,1841,121

Donley

132895729

Duval

2064,1711,279

Eastland

5356,6441,014

Ector

4,25568,9541,185

Edwards

84639753

Ellis

3,61256,385968

El Paso

16,445308,170850

Erath

1,22916,619789

Falls

2942,977812

Fannin

6218,126877

Fayette

8608,728890

Fisher

128800894

Floyd

2521,530747

Foard

61385712

Fort Bend

16,786202,9271,020

Franklin

2793,740836

Freestone

3964,380851

Frio

4156,6061,014

Gaines

6616,2901,034

Galveston

6,754110,6401,032

Garza

1881,633870

Gillespie

1,18911,282853

Glasscock

1405961,018

Goliad

1751,334841

Gonzales

5687,424940

Gray

5817,168981

Grayson

3,18948,114969

Gregg

4,36471,966955

Grimes

5487,0171,036

Guadalupe

2,48843,612965

Hale

88011,290815

Hall

130810630

Hamilton

2662,689821

Hansford

2331,980932

Hardeman

1271,282793

Hardin

96812,785902

Harris

124,4682,272,5031,415

Harrison

1,44021,948963

Hartley

1712,770887

Haskell

2232,019814

Hays

5,43879,122912

Hemphill

2091,5351,029

Henderson

1,62318,458792

Hidalgo

13,265269,127761

Hill

80410,373910

Hockley

6208,7831,110

Hood

1,60216,230865

Hopkins

91013,133895

Houston

9557,3001,052

Howard

94012,4891,036

Hudspeth

891,3501,184

Hunt

1,70728,193958

Hutchinson

4807,7101,264

Irion

876901,273

Jack

2482,446998

Jackson

4365,635934

Jasper

6759,381840

Jeff Davis

89817693

Jefferson

5,914110,9781,133

Jim Hogg

1281,610791

Jim Wells

83014,264819

Johnson

3,74651,844996

Jones

3423,027837

Karnes

4176,0441,143

Kaufman

2,36534,164947

Kendall

1,76917,7301,070

Kenedy

324331,176

Kent

38277828

Kerr

1,55617,944932

Kimble

1761,277710

King

263871,311

Kinney

80884980

Kleberg

63211,280845

Knox

1541,074842

Lamar

1,30722,037907

Lamb

4314,029868

Lampasas

4724,749761

La Salle

2043,1141,150

Lavaca

5005,502821

Lee

4496,624979

Leon

4344,7561,173

Liberty

1,27518,463937

Limestone

4067,891983

Lipscomb

991,223905

Live Oak

3073,4221,015

Llano

5934,991813

Loving

212261,271

Lubbock

8,189142,797928

Lynn

2081,5071,057

McCulloch

2802,350811

McLennan

5,730118,404984

McMullen

785401,067

Madison

3034,387848

Marion

1622,030739

Martin

2352,0061,102

Mason

1791,076696

Matagorda

85310,3641,094

Maverick

89917,418726

Medina

90410,231845

Menard

81412572

Midland

6,26798,8931,466

Milam

4845,619817

Mills

1461,263758

Mitchell

1891,956895

Montague

5174,762807

Montgomery

13,802197,6641,167

Moore

54611,6571,013

Morris

2463,190964

Motley

63295600

Nacogdoches

1,42522,026828

Navarro

1,01616,686847

Newton

1441,317781

Nolan

4146,336953

Nueces

8,465152,015990

Ochiltree

4144,071918

Oldham

102909887

Orange

1,44121,9281,089

Palo Pinto

7267,678861

Panola

5507,941968

Parker

3,32435,875953

Parmer

3256,0191,041

Pecos

4545,350970

Polk

92311,661889

Potter

4,03275,706988

Presidio

1972,016886

Rains

2552,212716

Randall

2,64733,993901

Reagan

1591,7151,358

Real

113790582

Red River

2652,859792

Reeves

4836,7631,222

Refugio

2192,238814

Roberts

51238941

Robertson

3664,9011,015

Rockwall

2,99534,640950

Runnels

2872,879770

Rusk

86012,805904

Sabine

2282,598794

San Augustine

1571,747854

San Jacinto

2742,175787

San Patricio

1,22020,8461,090

San Saba

2111,491745

Schleicher

94689890

Scurry

4675,6231,095

Shackelford

1631,2441,062

Shelby

6238,873890

Sherman

1371,142910

Smith

6,633104,9101,003

Somervell

2393,5571,166

Starr

61714,240712

Stephens

3113,335765

Sterling

96501827

Stonewall

76497847

Sutton

1811,3311,280

Swisher

1981,840727

Tarrant

49,229922,6551,186

Taylor

3,82964,077910

Terrell

48309791

Terry

4003,215843

Throckmorton

769531,291

Titus

93616,911861

Tom Green

3,03746,496923

Travis

49,807817,3381,578

Trinity

2212,242702

Tyler

3404,212776

Upshur

5787,562809

Upton

1271,7081,496

Uvalde

7199,408778

Val Verde

94418,494785

Van Zandt

1,09211,635763

Victoria

2,46536,365940

Walker

1,12824,385863

Waller

99921,234949

Ward

3994,9651,221

Washington

1,00514,913861

Webb

5,818100,320773

Wharton

1,16415,555874

Wheeler

2171,739789

Wichita

3,40052,826869

Wilbarger

3555,675814

Willacy

3194,059810

Williamson

14,259193,5241,240

Wilson

8468,683839

Winkler

2353,0731,357

Wise

1,54220,286997

Wood

94510,288806

Yoakum

2952,9961,118

Young

6236,691920

Zapata

1772,824923

Zavala

1732,260915

(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. Covered employment and wages includes 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 2021
StateEstablishments,
third quarter
(thousands)
EmploymentAverage weekly wage (1)
September 2021
(thousands)
Percent change,
September
2020–21
Third quarter
2021
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
third quarter
2020–21
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

11,021.4144,863.94.4$1,251--6.7--

Alabama

139.81,955.32.61,030365.337

Alaska

24.0316.94.61,205163.450

Arizona

184.52,926.34.61,167197.013

Arkansas

97.41,212.92.9963477.86

California

1,679.617,208.76.61,57647.78

Colorado

231.82,723.44.81,32297.013

Connecticut

132.01,605.12.91,40165.731

Delaware

35.9439.72.11,198184.445

District of Columbia

45.4736.13.12,04214.146

Florida

808.48,910.97.01,120258.73

Georgia

343.94,491.44.91,158206.817

Hawaii

49.2592.816.61,150223.351

Idaho

79.2804.05.3953507.86

Illinois

398.45,751.23.31,274116.322

Indiana

178.93,020.62.61,032347.410

Iowa

106.81,509.62.21,015394.943

Kansas

92.11,349.31.7997404.744

Kentucky

134.31,869.03.4989435.828

Louisiana

144.21,772.71.71,021375.436

Maine

58.5619.93.61,031356.718

Maryland

178.12,604.63.91,314103.549

Massachusetts

281.43,501.05.51,59327.013

Michigan

271.34,181.43.61,154215.337

Minnesota

186.92,780.52.71,249136.124

Mississippi

77.31,122.22.6859516.322

Missouri

223.92,760.32.91,055316.026

Montana

57.0487.54.4963476.521

Nebraska

75.6964.61.41,017385.535

Nevada

96.01,389.510.81,135238.35

New Hampshire

60.0654.63.31,349815.01

New Jersey

304.13,977.25.11,38474.146

New Mexico

64.8806.24.2997405.632

New York

671.28,922.44.41,53456.124

North Carolina

318.44,516.44.51,112267.111

North Dakota

33.0407.22.21,076305.140

Ohio

315.75,248.02.21,098285.632

Oklahoma

116.41,576.61.8966455.632

Oregon

171.21,909.53.71,220159.62

Pennsylvania

375.45,685.43.21,205165.828

Rhode Island

43.2474.14.81,131243.648

South Carolina

152.92,086.02.8988446.916

South Dakota

37.0435.63.1965465.140

Tennessee

187.73,044.14.21,111278.73

Texas

770.012,613.15.61,227146.718

Utah

123.11,594.75.01,087297.111

Vermont

28.1293.52.71,055315.828

Virginia

299.23,845.32.91,264125.337

Washington

266.63,415.24.41,57836.620

West Virginia

53.6664.22.7960495.042

Wisconsin

189.52,815.92.31,049337.59

Wyoming

28.7271.12.5995426.026

Puerto Rico

47.9887.96.5568(3)4.0(3)

Virgin Islands

3.634.51.9956(3)-5.4(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. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, March 28, 2022