Odessa, TX
Across all occupations in the Odessa, TX metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,590 a year ($23.36 an hour) and the mean $60,380, May 2025. That median is −5% against the US median of $50,980 and 0% against Texas's $48,620. BLS counts 80,910 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is chief executives; the largest is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
All occupations: Odessa, TX vs Texas and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Odessa, TX | Hourly | $13.52 | $17.43 | $23.36 | $34.61 | $49.01 | $29.03 | 80,910 |
| Annual | $28,130 | $36,250 | $48,590 | $71,990 | $101,950 | $60,380 | ||
| 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 | ||
241 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 Odessa, TX
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | $281,480 | $135.33 | 50 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $200,310 | $96.30 | 30 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,340 | $79.97 | 70 |
| 4 | Dentists, General | $153,860 | $73.97 | 40 |
| 5 | Financial Managers in Texas | $152,200 | $73.17 | 280 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Texas | $146,830 | $70.59 | 100 |
| 7 | Pharmacists | $141,260 | $67.91 | 100 |
| 8 | Petroleum Engineers | $135,620 | $65.20 | 220 |
| 9 | Managers, All Other in Texas | $134,830 | $64.82 | 240 |
| 10 | Sales Engineers | $134,740 | $64.78 | 50 |
| 11 | Marketing Managers | $133,420 | $64.15 | 80 |
| 12 | Lawyers in Texas | $133,340 | $64.11 | 110 |
| 13 | Human Resources Managers | $132,250 | $63.58 | 80 |
| 14 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $129,730 | $62.37 | 60 |
| 15 | Physician Assistants | $129,380 | $62.20 | 40 |
| 16 | Software Developers in Texas | $127,080 | $61.10 | 110 |
| 17 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,690 | $60.91 | 70 |
| 18 | Sales Managers in Texas | $125,370 | $60.27 | 340 |
| 19 | Industrial Production Managers | $125,070 | $60.13 | 150 |
| 20 | Management Analysts in Texas | $122,080 | $58.69 | 120 |
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 Odessa, TX
Most concentrated occupations in Odessa, 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 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 88.19 | 2,060 | 25.51 | $45,650 |
| 2 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | 77.08 | 1,730 | 21.38 | $49,080 |
| 3 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 70.42 | 390 | 4.79 | $53,130 |
| 4 | Wellhead Pumpers | 35.79 | 330 | 4.14 | $75,450 |
| 5 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 35.06 | 230 | 2.84 | $59,560 |
| 6 | Petroleum Engineers | 22.98 | 220 | 2.67 | $135,620 |
| 7 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 16.44 | 410 | 5.10 | $60,300 |
| 8 | Insulation Workers, Mechanical | 7.55 | 100 | 1.25 | $52,760 |
| 9 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 7.28 | 1,660 | 20.58 | $60,190 |
| 10 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 5.96 | 550 | 6.76 | $65,740 |
Occupation groups in Odessa, TX
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $105,310 | $126,380 | 5,880 | 72.66 | 1.01 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $92,940 | $103,240 | 1,280 | 15.80 | 0.94 |
| Legal | $85,100 | $113,560 | 260 | 3.22 | 0.38 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $80,870 | $92,330 | 650 | 8.04 | 0.24 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $80,400 | $90,000 | 3,250 | 40.13 | 0.64 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $78,090 | $85,550 | 2,850 | 35.28 | 0.52 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $63,480 | $64,280 | 4,320 | 53.36 | 0.91 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $61,760 | $76,100 | 780 | 9.62 | 1.02 |
| Protective Service | $60,150 | $62,790 | 940 | 11.63 | 0.48 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,990 | $62,360 | 7,070 | 87.38 | 2.23 |
| Community and Social Service | $54,620 | $63,890 | 560 | 6.92 | 0.40 |
| Construction and Extraction | $49,610 | $55,910 | 10,360 | 128.02 | 3.10 |
| Production | $47,840 | $54,350 | 4,730 | 58.40 | 1.06 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $46,650 | $61,180 | 470 | 5.78 | 0.44 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $46,280 | $49,960 | 9,310 | 115.07 | 1.31 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,560 | $47,760 | 8,320 | 102.81 | 0.90 |
| Sales and Related | $37,200 | $51,660 | 7,260 | 89.78 | 1.04 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $35,870 | $36,940 | 1,570 | 19.44 | 0.66 |
| Healthcare Support | $33,160 | $34,640 | 2,080 | 25.70 | 0.51 |
| Personal Care and Service | $31,190 | $35,870 | 720 | 8.93 | 0.43 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $28,850 | $30,660 | 8,220 | 101.62 | 1.16 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | – | – | – | – | – |
Every occupation in Texas, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 241 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 Odessa, TX estimates (area 36220).
- 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 Odessa, 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.