Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Houston Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area
Figures describe the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Houston city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (9 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 699 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $389,520 | $187.27 | Not published |
| 2 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $320,450 | $154.06 | 180 |
| 3 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $307,690 | Not published | 4,160 |
| 4 | Physicians, All Other | $292,490 | $140.62 | 7,010 |
| 5 | Physicians, Pathologists | $291,510 | $140.15 | 230 |
| 6 | Neurologists | $277,960 | $133.64 | 120 |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetists | $275,310 | $132.36 | 680 |
| 8 | Chief Executives | $275,270 | $132.34 | 1,920 |
| 9 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $274,410 | $131.93 | 1,030 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $249,070 | $119.74 | 420 |
| 11 | Anesthesiologists | $210,230 | $101.07 | 1,160 |
| 12 | Dermatologists | $207,000 | $99.52 | 370 |
| 13 | Physicists | $199,770 | $96.05 | 140 |
| 14 | Cardiologists | $187,550 | $90.17 | 460 |
| 15 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $174,490 | $83.89 | 2,380 |
| 16 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $172,160 | $82.77 | 13,090 |
| 17 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $172,020 | $82.70 | 5,330 |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineers | $169,870 | $81.67 | 4,770 |
| 19 | Financial Managers | $166,910 | $80.24 | 18,570 |
| 20 | Lawyers | $157,980 | $75.95 | 16,810 |
| 21 | Marketing Managers | $153,030 | $73.57 | 8,930 |
| 22 | Podiatrists | $150,320 | $72.27 | 110 |
| 23 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $148,870 | $71.57 | 480 |
| 24 | Managers, All Other | $144,820 | $69.62 | 14,930 |
| 25 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $144,120 | $69.29 | Not published |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Houston metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.