Lubbock, TX
Across all occupations in the Lubbock, TX metropolitan area, the median wage is $42,130 a year ($20.26 an hour) and the mean $53,850, May 2025. That median is −17% against the US median of $50,980 and −13% against Texas's $48,620. BLS counts 166,780 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Lubbock, TX vs Texas and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Lubbock, TX | Hourly | $11.24 | $14.38 | $20.26 | $30.54 | $46.04 | $25.89 | 166,780 |
| Annual | $23,380 | $29,910 | $42,130 | $63,510 | $95,770 | $53,850 | ||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.10 | $17.01 | $23.38 | $37.42 | $60.20 | $31.61 | 14,071,160 |
| Annual | $27,250 | $35,370 | $48,620 | $77,840 | $125,220 | $65,750 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
398 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Texas. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Lubbock, TX
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $328,740 | $158.05 | 240 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $174,120 | $83.71 | 120 |
| 3 | Petroleum Engineers | $164,480 | $79.08 | 100 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $150,150 | $72.19 | 70 |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $145,890 | $70.14 | 370 |
| 6 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $140,660 | $67.62 | 40 |
| 7 | Optometrists | $140,070 | $67.34 | 60 |
| 8 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $139,870 | $67.24 | 40 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Texas | $139,250 | $66.95 | 280 |
| 10 | Physician Assistants | $137,510 | $66.11 | 120 |
| 11 | Financial Managers in Texas | $135,090 | $64.95 | 540 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioners | $127,100 | $61.11 | 370 |
| 13 | Veterinarians | $126,420 | $60.78 | 70 |
| 14 | Human Resources Managers | $125,690 | $60.43 | 130 |
| 15 | Lawyers in Texas | $124,410 | $59.81 | 470 |
| 16 | Sales Managers in Texas | $119,280 | $57.35 | 520 |
| 17 | Marketing Managers | $118,550 | $57.00 | 200 |
| 18 | Managers, All Other in Texas | $117,250 | $56.37 | 350 |
| 19 | Software Developers in Texas | $115,190 | $55.38 | 340 |
| 20 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $112,840 | $54.25 | 80 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Lubbock, TX
Most concentrated occupations in Lubbock, TX
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 10.67 | 100 | 0.61 | $105,370 |
| 2 | Wellhead Pumpers | 10.50 | 200 | 1.22 | $76,850 |
| 3 | Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 10.37 | 1,830 | 10.95 | $64,160 |
| 4 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 10.28 | 120 | 0.70 | $47,690 |
| 5 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 9.26 | 450 | 2.68 | $44,920 |
| 6 | Agricultural Equipment Operators | 6.82 | 210 | 1.25 | $34,570 |
| 7 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | 6.57 | 300 | 1.82 | $45,730 |
| 8 | Petroleum Engineers | 5.18 | 100 | 0.60 | $164,480 |
| 9 | Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.96 | 130 | 0.75 | $60,680 |
| 10 | Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 3.40 | 410 | 2.44 | $60,850 |
Occupation groups in Lubbock, TX
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $90,340 | $108,160 | 11,600 | 69.57 | 0.97 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $79,510 | $91,310 | 12,920 | 77.50 | 1.23 |
| Legal | $78,240 | $96,820 | 950 | 5.72 | 0.68 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $77,130 | $86,500 | 1,430 | 8.58 | 0.51 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $73,180 | $80,770 | 2,240 | 13.42 | 0.40 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $64,560 | $73,080 | 1,100 | 6.57 | 0.69 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $64,490 | $73,720 | 6,330 | 37.95 | 0.56 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $60,270 | $60,540 | 13,930 | 83.55 | 1.43 |
| Protective Service | $57,530 | $61,210 | 3,710 | 22.25 | 0.92 |
| Community and Social Service | $51,520 | $55,770 | 2,640 | 15.80 | 0.92 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $47,460 | $52,130 | 8,010 | 48.00 | 1.23 |
| Construction and Extraction | $45,730 | $49,830 | 6,470 | 38.79 | 0.94 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $44,720 | $61,310 | 1,600 | 9.57 | 0.73 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $39,690 | $42,670 | 23,220 | 139.24 | 1.22 |
| Production | $37,750 | $43,950 | 5,010 | 30.04 | 0.55 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,390 | $41,430 | 14,190 | 85.10 | 0.97 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $36,480 | $37,640 | 550 | 3.28 | 1.17 |
| Sales and Related | $32,970 | $43,700 | 14,560 | 87.31 | 1.01 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $30,800 | $32,450 | 4,920 | 29.48 | 1.01 |
| Healthcare Support | $30,230 | $32,690 | 7,610 | 45.65 | 0.90 |
| Personal Care and Service | $27,720 | $32,020 | 3,780 | 22.65 | 1.08 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $27,150 | $28,060 | 20,010 | 120.00 | 1.36 |
Every occupation in Texas, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 398 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Lubbock, TX estimates (area 31180).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Lubbock, TX area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.