Average Salaries in Odessa, TX
Explore salaries across 243 occupations in Odessa, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $62.9K, -4.3% 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: 243 occupations and 73,770 total jobs in Odessa, TX.
How the metro compares
Wages in Odessa, TX track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Odessa, TX is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
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 Odessa, 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 Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $281.5K | 50 |
| Physicians, All Other | $200.3K | 30 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $166.3K | 70 |
| Dentists, General | $153.9K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $152.2K | 280 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $146.8K | 100 |
| Pharmacists | $141.3K | 100 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $135.6K | 220 |
| Managers, All Other | $134.8K | 240 |
| Sales Engineers | $134.7K | 50 |
Largest occupations in Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,190 | $58.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,960 | $28.4K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,630 | $104.1K |
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 2,060 | $45.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,900 | $30.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,810 | $39.8K |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil And Gas | 1,730 | $49.1K |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 1,660 | $60.2K |
| Cashiers | 1,580 | $29K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,400 | $22.6K |
What Odessa, 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 Odessa, TX than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 88.19 | $45.7K |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil And Gas | 77.08 | $49.1K |
| Derrick Operators, Oil And Gas | 70.42 | $53.1K |
| Wellhead Pumpers | 35.79 | $75.5K |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil And Gas | 35.06 | $59.6K |
| Petroleum Engineers | 22.98 | $135.6K |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | 21.03 | $39.5K |
| Control And Valve Installers And Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 16.44 | $60.3K |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, And Related Repairers | 8.64 | $46K |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | 7.55 | $52.8K |
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 Odessa, 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.