Average Salaries in El Paso, TX
Explore salaries across 475 occupations in El Paso, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $54.9K, -10.7% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 475 occupations and 323,960 total jobs in El Paso, TX.
How the metro compares
El Paso, TX pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
El Paso, TX is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Chief Executives. 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 El Paso, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in El Paso, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $187.7K | 100 |
| Pediatricians, General | $179.2K | 140 |
| Dentists, General | $164.3K | 140 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $141.3K | 150 |
| English Language And Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $139.4K | 170 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $139.1K | 640 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $134.5K | 100 |
| Optometrists | $134.3K | 80 |
| Pharmacists | $131.4K | 580 |
| Psychologists, All Other | $130.8K | 40 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in El Paso, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 14,040 | $22.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 11,540 | $22.6K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 10,550 | $35.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 9,830 | $27.9K |
| General And Operations Managers | 8,390 | $74.7K |
| Cashiers | 7,580 | $24.2K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 7,360 | $48.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 7,030 | $33.9K |
| Registered Nurses | 6,980 | $81.4K |
| Office Clerks, General | 6,000 | $32.8K |
What El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in El Paso, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Shoe Machine Operators And Tenders | 23.83 | $22.3K |
| Shoe And Leather Workers And Repairers | 20.36 | $25.0K |
| Detectives And Criminal Investigators | 7.37 | $107.2K |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School | 3.59 | $61.8K |
| Interpreters And Translators | 3.36 | $52.2K |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.26 | $26.5K |
| Compliance Officers | 3.05 | $72.6K |
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | 2.60 | $35.6K |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 2.59 | $20.8K |
| Cooks, All Other | 2.58 | $25.0K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for El Paso, 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.