Average Salaries in Odessa, TX
Explore salaries across 244 occupations in Odessa, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $57.8K, -6.1% 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: 244 occupations and 71,310 total jobs in Odessa, TX.
How the metro compares
Odessa, TX pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Odessa, TX is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $234.9K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $146.2K | 220 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $142.4K | 90 |
| Pharmacists | $138.3K | 90 |
| Petroleum Engineers | $134.3K | 310 |
| Sales Managers | $129.1K | 330 |
| Managers, All Other | $128.6K | 130 |
| Marketing Managers | $126.4K | 70 |
| Facilities Managers | $125.0K | 50 |
| Health And Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers And Inspectors | $125.0K | 80 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,280 | $55.1K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,730 | $100.0K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,490 | $27.1K |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil And Gas | 2,010 | $50.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,820 | $30.9K |
| Cashiers | 1,790 | $28.2K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,620 | $39.1K |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 1,550 | $59.8K |
| Construction Laborers | 1,470 | $37.8K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Construction Trades And Extraction Workers | 1,420 | $73.4K |
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.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Odessa, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Service Unit Operators, Oil And Gas | 88.67 | $50.5K |
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 56.08 | $47.1K |
| Derrick Operators, Oil And Gas | 50.11 | $45.7K |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil And Gas | 42.73 | $57.3K |
| Petroleum Engineers | 32.09 | $134.3K |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | 31.55 | $41.3K |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | 17.41 | $75.0K |
| Control And Valve Installers And Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 12.78 | $49.9K |
| Riggers | 8.96 | $44.5K |
| Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | 8.00 | $59.9K |
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 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.