The top 25 occupations in Texas ranked by 2026 median annual salary. Based on BLS data projected forward with Texas cost-of-living adjustment.
Ranked by median annual base salary. Click any role for full Texas-specific detail.
| Rank | Role | Median 2026 | 75th % | Top 10% (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CEO (Mid-Market) Business & Management | $550,000 | $715,000 | $907,500 |
| #2 | Surgeon Healthcare | $452,500 | $588,200 | $746,600 |
| #3 | Chief Financial Officer Finance | $414,200 | $538,400 | $683,400 |
| #4 | Physician (MD/DO) Healthcare | $291,700 | $379,200 | $481,300 |
| #5 | Investment Banker Finance | $250,700 | $325,900 | $413,600 |
| #6 | Corporate Lawyer Legal | $248,700 | $323,400 | $410,400 |
| #7 | Dentist Healthcare | $214,300 | $278,600 | $353,600 |
| #8 | AI Engineer Technology | $213,300 | $277,300 | $352,000 |
| #9 | Petroleum Engineer Engineering | $196,300 | $255,100 | $323,800 |
| #10 | Machine Learning Engineer Technology | $195,200 | $253,700 | $322,000 |
| #11 | Senior Software Engineer Technology | $190,600 | $247,800 | $314,500 |
| #12 | Lawyer / Attorney Legal | $190,200 | $247,300 | $313,900 |
| #13 | Site Reliability Engineer Technology | $183,800 | $239,000 | $303,300 |
| #14 | IT Manager Technology | $179,300 | $233,100 | $295,800 |
| #15 | Controller Finance | $175,900 | $228,600 | $290,200 |
| #16 | Judge / Magistrate Legal | $175,900 | $228,600 | $290,200 |
| #17 | Management Consultant Business & Management | $174,200 | $226,400 | $287,400 |
| #18 | Sales Manager Business & Management | $172,800 | $224,600 | $285,000 |
| #19 | Product Manager Technology | $172,500 | $224,200 | $284,600 |
| #20 | Sales Engineer Sales | $169,600 | $220,400 | $279,800 |
| #21 | Aerospace Engineer Engineering | $168,000 | $218,500 | $277,300 |
| #22 | Data Scientist Technology | $167,900 | $218,300 | $277,100 |
| #23 | Marketing Manager Business & Management | $166,100 | $216,000 | $274,100 |
| #24 | Pharmacist Healthcare | $164,300 | $213,600 | $271,100 |
| #25 | Account Executive (SaaS) Sales | $162,700 | $211,500 | $268,500 |
In Texas, the highest-paying job tracked is CEO (Mid-Market), with a median salary of $550,000 in 2026. The 90th percentile reaches $907,500.
Salaries are based on BLS OEWS data, projected forward to 2026 using category-specific wage growth and adjusted for Texas's cost-of-living index. The ranking shows median annual base pay (excluding bonuses, equity, and benefits).
Most of the top 25 highest-paying jobs in Texas typically require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require advanced degrees (medicine, law, engineering specializations). Trades roles are notable exceptions — they appear in some state rankings without requiring four-year degrees.