Average Salaries in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Explore salaries across 726 occupations in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $73.5K, +11.7% 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: 726 occupations and 4,029,120 total jobs in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
How the metro compares
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is one of the largest metro labor markets in the country.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric. 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $666.9K | 100 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $494.8K | 470 |
| Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons | $431.9K | N/A |
| Cardiologists | $403.3K | 940 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $402.6K | N/A |
| Neurologists | $360.6K | 300 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $360K | 210 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $324.2K | 310 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $321.3K | 770 |
| Chief Executives | $320.1K | 2,580 |
Largest occupations in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 128,380 | $28.1K |
| General And Operations Managers | 125,090 | $111K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 111,100 | $37.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 100,340 | $33.4K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 96,930 | $45K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 81,940 | $38.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 76,680 | $101.4K |
| Software Developers | 67,030 | $133.3K |
| Cashiers | 65,070 | $29.9K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 58,580 | $26.9K |
What Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 3.99 | $38.3K |
| Semiconductor Processing Technicians | 3.90 | $38.4K |
| Cooks, All Other | 3.58 | $35.5K |
| Reservation And Transportation Ticket Agents And Travel Clerks | 3.44 | $38.3K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 3.02 | $66.5K |
| Financial Clerks, All Other | 2.90 | $54.1K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 2.84 | $65.3K |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, And Systems Assemblers | 2.77 | $86.5K |
| Plant And System Operators, All Other | 2.75 | $50.7K |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | 2.70 | $53.2K |
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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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.