Texas has a very large labor force, a jobless rate close to the national average, and a state minimum wage equal to the federal rate, so market pay rather than a legal minimum sets what employers offer.
Texas is a very large and varied labor market: 15.93 million people are in the labor force and payroll employment stands at 14.47 million. The statewide unemployment rate is 4.4%, close to the national 4.2% and only slightly above the 4.2% recorded a year earlier. Jobs grew +1.1% over the year. Because the state is so large, recruiting plans here usually have to cover several cities at once.
Hiring pressure here is visible in the state's flow data. The job openings rate is 4.1%, higher than the hires rate of 3.5%, and the quits rate is 2.2%. When openings outrun hires, some employers are leaving positions unfilled longer than they would like, and workers have a little room to be choosy. That is a case for shortening the path from application to interview rather than adding more job-board spend.
Texas also differs from most states on the legal side. The statewide minimum wage is the federal rate, and state law restricts cities from adding their own employment rules, so a recruiting process built for one Texas city generally travels to another. This page covers the sectors that employ the most people, what common high-volume roles pay, and the state-level rules employers should know, with sources and dates.
A jobless rate of 4.4% next to 4.2% nationally describes a market in line with the country. The openings rate of 4.1% versus a hires rate of 3.5% is the more telling pair for recruiters: it suggests roles are being posted faster than they are filled.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES, JOLTS). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $16.04 | $29.65 | $61.50 | 135,030 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $17.49 | $31.72 | $65.87 | 95,670 |
| Telemarketers | $11.26 | $16.49 | $24.77 | 3,660 |
| Customer service representatives | $14.10 | $19.44 | $28.65 | 337,170 |
| Retail salespersons | $11.22 | $14.81 | $21.67 | 341,640 |
| Cashiers | $10.62 | $14.06 | $17.78 | 245,730 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $14.06 | $18.05 | $24.11 | 216,970 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $10.44 | $13.34 | $17.15 | 460,530 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $11.28 | $15.87 | $22.09 | 184,840 |
| Sales managers | $33.05 | $65.40 | $129.06 | 76,010 |
Wage levels in Texas run below the national median for services sales representatives ($29.65 against $33.65) but the spread is wide, from $16.04 at the 10th percentile to $61.50 at the 90th. Because the state minimum wage is $7.25, the floor does not constrain pay; competition for frontline workers sets it.
2.81 million jobs · 19.4% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest sector at 19.4% of payroll jobs and moved +1.0%; distribution, driving and sales-associate roles dominate the hiring volume.
2.19 million jobs · 15.1% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services grew +3.1%, the fastest of the top five, and includes contact-center and staffing employers that recruit in bulk.
2.01 million jobs · 13.9% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Private education and health services rose +1.3%; demand for aides, medical assistants and school support staff keeps competing with entry-level sales and call-center recruiting.
1.56 million jobs · 10.8% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality grew +2.2%, a steady source of seasonal and shift-based hiring.
982,800 jobs · 6.8% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Manufacturing moved −0.1%; production and shipping roles are less sensitive to short-term swings and tend to offer predictable schedules.
Texas's largest sectors are large enough on their own to rival entire other states' workforces. Growth varies by sector, and the fastest-growing groups are the ones competing hardest for the same hourly and service-oriented candidates.
The rules below are Texas's state-level summaries with sources and dates. Texas law also limits what cities and counties can require of employers, noted where verified. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm specifics with the relevant agency or counsel.
No statewide background checks requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
No statewide ban-the-box / fair chance requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
Texas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, adopted from the federal rate; the tipped cash wage is $2.13, and cities and counties may not regulate this field.
Texas enforces reasonable non-competes ancillary to an enforceable agreement, with added limits for physicians, dentists, nurses and physician assistants from September 1, 2025 (one-year, five-mile and buyout rules).
No statewide pay transparency requirement was identified in the sources we reviewed.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting. For a deeper look at Texas's hiring-compliance laws, see our Texas hiring compliance guide.
An openings rate of 4.1% against a hires rate of 3.5% means vacancies are open longer than they need to be. The fix is rarely more advertising. Shorten the time between an application and a scheduled conversation by texting immediately, offering a booking link in the first message, and reminding candidates before the interview.
Because the state limits local employment rules and the minimum wage is uniform, one process can serve Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and smaller markets. Build a single set of templates and screening questions and customize only the location and schedule.
With the state minimum wage at $7.25, the published ranges in the table are the real benchmark for frontline roles. Check the 25th to 75th percentile range you want to fall within for each role and city, and state your pay in the first message so applicants can compare you quickly.
When a single sector employs millions, applicant volume per posting can be large. Sort by criteria you define, move qualified groups forward in one action, and send a short templated note to everyone else so nobody is left waiting.
Statewide hiring in Texas is a volume problem as much as a location problem. Bulk actions let a recruiter message and move thousands of candidates in one step, AI-powered candidate ranking builds shortlists from the criteria you set, and conversational SMS keeps every reply in one inbox. The recruiting template library helps teams standardize messages across offices, and pricing is published.
The state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate, and the tipped cash wage is lower under state law as noted in the rules section. Cities and counties are limited in what they may require, so the same rate generally applies across the state.
Texas Labor Code section 1.005 limits local governments from adopting or enforcing employment rules that go beyond state or federal law, per the source cited above. Confirm current details with counsel, because exceptions and court decisions can change how the statute applies.
In the sources we reviewed, we did not identify a statewide pay-range disclosure requirement for private employers in Texas. Federal rules and employer policies may still apply, and some employers publish ranges because it improves response.
Unemployment is 4.4%, and the job openings rate of 4.1% is above the hires rate of 3.5%. Roles are being posted slightly faster than they are filled, which is why response speed to applicants matters more than posting volume.
Texas enforces reasonable non-competes that are tied to another enforceable agreement, with added limits for certain health-care professionals from September 1, 2025. Whether a specific sales agreement is enforceable depends on its terms, so have counsel review it.
Up a level
Metro areas
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 13, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
Start a 30-day free trial or book a demo to see bulk actions, texting and ranking in action.
30-day free trial · No setup fees · No long-term contracts
