Average Salaries in Corpus Christi, TX
Explore salaries across 401 occupations in Corpus Christi, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.5K, -6.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 401 occupations and 184,140 total jobs in Corpus Christi, TX.
How the metro compares
Corpus Christi, TX pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Corpus Christi, TX is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, Pathologists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Corpus Christi, TX
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Corpus Christi, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, Pathologists | $373.4K | N/A |
| Physicians, All Other | $253.5K | 340 |
| Chief Executives | $229.3K | 90 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $206.4K | 30 |
| Dentists, General | $180.6K | 90 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $158.4K | 130 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $155.9K | 110 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $153.9K | 320 |
| Pediatricians, General | $148.3K | N/A |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, And Magistrates | $140.1K | 50 |
Largest occupations in Corpus Christi, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 7,870 | $25.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 6,630 | $23.4K |
| General And Operations Managers | 5,570 | $90.6K |
| Registered Nurses | 4,800 | $82.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,790 | $29.2K |
| Cashiers | 3,650 | $28.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 3,450 | $36.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 3,390 | $22.8K |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,290 | $36.9K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,280 | $37.1K |
What Corpus Christi, TX specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Corpus Christi, TX than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Corpus Christi, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, And Gaugers | 19.85 | $78.6K |
| Motorboat Operators | 16.72 | $43.2K |
| Boilermakers | 13.19 | $64.7K |
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | 8.08 | $37.1K |
| Riggers | 7.86 | $60.2K |
| Calibration Technologists And Technicians | 7.53 | $77.4K |
| Sailors And Marine Oilers | 6.99 | $44.5K |
| Crane And Tower Operators | 6.23 | $74.2K |
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 6.16 | $42.2K |
| Petroleum Engineers | 5.13 | $155.9K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Corpus Christi, TX
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.