Fastest-growing jobs in Texas
With the country eager to put the pandemic firmly in the rear-view mirror, the American economy continued to boom in 2023. The national unemployment rate remained around 3.6%, while the total number of people employed grew to roughly 152 million, up from 148 million in 2022.
The economy has seen several significant changes in recent years. Many people are leaving expensive coastal states such as California and New York and moving to more affordable places in the Mountain West region and the South, buoyed by companies that have embraced remote work. What's more, in a reversal of past trends, wages grew the fastest for lower-earning workers.
Stacker analyzed jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the fastest-growing jobs in Texas. Occupations were ranked by the percentage increase in employment between 2022 and 2023. Jobs were excluded from the ranking if they had fewer than 1,000 people working in them in the state.
Keep reading to learn which jobs are growing the fastest in Texas.
#50. Riggers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +39.7% (1,580 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,560
--- Employment in 2022: 3,980
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,880
#49. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +40.7% (480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,660
--- Employment in 2022: 1,180
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $53,770
#48. Production workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.7% (3,130 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,640
--- Employment in 2022: 7,510
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,640
#47. Financial clerks, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +41.9% (1,990 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,740
--- Employment in 2022: 4,750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $49,600
#46. Occupational therapy assistants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +42.4% (1,810 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,080
--- Employment in 2022: 4,270
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $75,000
#45. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +42.5% (3,270 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 10,970
--- Employment in 2022: 7,700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $47,980
#44. Wellhead pumpers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +42.8% (3,460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 11,550
--- Employment in 2022: 8,090
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $74,970
#43. Management analysts
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.2% (15,840 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 50,900
--- Employment in 2022: 35,060
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $95,760
#42. Psychiatric technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.3% (3,060 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 9,820
--- Employment in 2022: 6,760
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,070
#41. Anesthesiologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.7% (430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,370
--- Employment in 2022: 940
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $186,430
#40. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +45.9% (1,110 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,530
--- Employment in 2022: 2,420
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,010
#39. Chiropractors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +46.2% (1,080 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,420
--- Employment in 2022: 2,340
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $77,770
#38. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +48.9% (17,940 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 54,660
--- Employment in 2022: 36,720
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $84,480
#37. Extraction workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +49.2% (580 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,760
--- Employment in 2022: 1,180
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $44,570
#36. Data scientists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +49.2% (6,780 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 20,560
--- Employment in 2022: 13,780
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $100,100
#35. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +50.0% (8,000 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 23,990
--- Employment in 2022: 15,990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $63,300
#34. Prepress technicians and workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +50.4% (590 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,760
--- Employment in 2022: 1,170
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,070
#33. Building cleaning workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.5% (350 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,030
--- Employment in 2022: 680
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $38,470
#32. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +51.9% (3,830 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 11,210
--- Employment in 2022: 7,380
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $26,300
#31. Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +54.9% (390 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,100
--- Employment in 2022: 710
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $48,730
#30. Camera operators, television, video, and film
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +55.2% (530 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,490
--- Employment in 2022: 960
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $62,700
#29. Plant and system operators, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +57.5% (1,450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,970
--- Employment in 2022: 2,520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $43,990
#28. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +59.7% (430 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,150
--- Employment in 2022: 720
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $29,320
#27. Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +60.0% (450 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,200
--- Employment in 2022: 750
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,290
#26. Cooks, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +65.9% (830 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,090
--- Employment in 2022: 1,260
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $30,420
#25. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +66.2% (3,190 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 8,010
--- Employment in 2022: 4,820
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $26,520
#24. Cardiologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +66.7% (460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,150
--- Employment in 2022: 690
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#23. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +69.8% (1,780 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,330
--- Employment in 2022: 2,550
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $116,960
#22. Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +70.7% (2,680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,470
--- Employment in 2022: 3,790
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $47,820
#21. Career/technical education teachers, middle school
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +71.7% (1,090 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,610
--- Employment in 2022: 1,520
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $63,010
#20. Avionics technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +72.3% (860 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,050
--- Employment in 2022: 1,190
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $78,640
#19. Transportation workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +72.7% (480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,140
--- Employment in 2022: 660
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $33,080
#18. Airfield operations specialists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +75.0% (900 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,100
--- Employment in 2022: 1,200
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $78,810
#17. Actors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +78.6% (440 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,000
--- Employment in 2022: 560
--- Median annual salary in 2023: Data unavailable
#16. Dietetic technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +86.4% (760 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,640
--- Employment in 2022: 880
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $28,970
#15. Nurse anesthetists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +87.2% (2,510 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,390
--- Employment in 2022: 2,880
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $196,540
#14. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +88.1% (1,040 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,220
--- Employment in 2022: 1,180
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $72,690
#13. Semiconductor processing technicians
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +88.2% (3,360 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 7,170
--- Employment in 2022: 3,810
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $35,960
#12. Barbers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +97.8% (1,320 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,670
--- Employment in 2022: 1,350
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $36,670
#11. Personal care and service workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +107.1% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,450
--- Employment in 2022: 700
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $28,330
#10. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +108.8% (2,470 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 4,740
--- Employment in 2022: 2,270
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $45,590
#9. Food processing workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +132.9% (3,680 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 6,450
--- Employment in 2022: 2,770
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,460
#8. Exercise physiologists
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +144.4% (650 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,100
--- Employment in 2022: 450
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $64,090
#7. Athletes and sports competitors
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +148.6% (1,650 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,760
--- Employment in 2022: 1,110
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $193,000
#6. Aircraft service attendants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +159.1% (1,480 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,410
--- Employment in 2022: 930
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,710
#5. Ship engineers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +170.5% (750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,190
--- Employment in 2022: 440
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $118,490
#4. Sailors and marine oilers
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +173.9% (3,460 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 5,450
--- Employment in 2022: 1,990
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $61,660
#3. Passenger attendants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +179.8% (2,320 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 3,610
--- Employment in 2022: 1,290
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $33,200
#2. Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +290.0% (870 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 1,170
--- Employment in 2022: 300
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $18,000
#1. Material moving workers, all other
- Increase in employment 2022-2023: +357.1% (1,750 employees)
--- Employment in 2023: 2,240
--- Employment in 2022: 490
--- Median annual salary in 2023: $37,440
This story features data reporting and writing by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
