Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas – New data from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) shows that upstream employment in the oil and gas industry rose by 1,600 in July compared to June. That gain comes on top of an upward revision to June employment, which is now estimated to have increased by 1,400 upstream jobs. The original estimate for June had shown a decrease of 2,000 jobs. Today’s data marks three of seven months this calendar year in which jobs increased.
“Texas continues to be the nation’s manufacturing powerhouse, and the U.S. continues to lead the world in meeting basic energy needs,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. “The men and women in the oil and natural gas industry make this possible. While there are economic disparities in most industries, there is no denying that oil and natural gas are essential to maintaining the high quality of life Americans deserve, and the men and women in this field deliver the goods every day.”
Since the COVID trough in September 2020, the industry has added 37,100 upstream jobs in Texas, an average growth of 807 jobs per month. Since the COVID trough, months of job gains in the upstream oil and gas sector outnumber months of job declines by 35 to 11. These jobs are among the highest-paying in Texas, with employers in the oil and natural gas industry paying a median salary of about $124,000 in 2023.
The upstream sector includes oil and natural gas production and excludes other industries such as refining, petrochemicals, fuel wholesale, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas distribution, which support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs throughout Texas. The employment figures shown also include “mining support activities,” which are primarily related to oil and gas but also include some other types of mining.
Founded in 1919, TXOGA is the oldest and largest oil and gas trade association in Texas, representing all facets of the industry.
