Jobs in Houston

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Houston, Texas has a population of almost 2.5 million people and is the fourth largest city in the United State, making it a hub of diverse economic activity. While no city was spared from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities with higher industry diversity like Houston have generally demonstrated greater resilience and are on track for faster recoveries. In 2019, the city’s unemployment rate was 3.6% which is slightly below the national average. Keep reading…

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About Houston Jobs

Currently, Houston is faring slightly worse than the national average at an unemployment rate of 9.8% but has fluctuated greatly in the past months, indicating it has the potential to recover. The average household income in the city is just over $50,000 annually and the cost of living in Houston is 2% below the national average. The largest economic industries in Houston are energy, health and health technologies, aerospace engineering, and manufacturing. Notable companies with headquarters in Houston are BP Energy, Shell Energy, General Electric, the Texas Medical Center, SpaceX, and Boeing.

Major Employers and Typical Positions

Although Houston is a powerhouse of technology and innovation, some of the largest employers in the area are those in the manufacturing and service industries. For example, Walmart is currently the biggest employer in Houston with over 37,000 employees in the city alone and McDonald’s employs almost 21,000 people in the city. For reference, the minimum wage in Texas $7.25 hourly, and both Walmart and McDonald’s typically start employees at $9 or more hourly.

Beyond the service industry, a large portion of Houston residents work in the healthcare or health technology industries in some capacity. The Memorial Hermann Health System and the Houston Methodist hospital system are also major Houston employers. While healthcare positions vary greatly in salaries and qualifications, being associated with a hospital or other healthcare network typically means generating a minimum of $55,000 annually and typically higher than that for nursing and physician positions.

In the technological industries, Houston is quickly becoming a popular city for new and emerging companies to lay their roots. Some particularly interesting and lucrative Houston companies include Abagy Robotics Systems, which is focused on making robots smaller and more accessible for use in manufacturing. Hivecode is a digital security company, serving an increasingly digital industry and assisting companies in protecting the safety and security of their data systems and clients. Finally, Quickline Credit is an emerging company in Houston designed to help small businesses grow their financial assets and increasing their economic power.

Clearly, there is no shortage of technological innovation in Houston, serving only to further diversify the economy and job market for residents and prospective residents alike.