Top 25 Jobs in Texas

The state job outlook for 2004 - 2014 shows that the top 9 jobs are all in Education and Health Services, as are the majority of the top 25 Fastest Growing Jobs in Texas. The computer information related jobs in the Top 25 are likely to be connected with this same category, along with forensics.

Texas gained 213,200 non-agriculture jobs in 2006 for annual growth 2.2%. December 2006 marked 27 consecutive months of employment growth. Professional and Business Services were No. 1 in job creation with 46,000 new jobs. Next was Education and Health Services with 26,100 new jobs and Government with 25,500 new jobs.

The highest Texas job growth has been in the consolidated Goods Producing Sector which includes Natural Resources & Mining, Construction, and Manufacturing for a total 2.5 percent job growth in 2006.

The Texas unemployment rate has remained about 5 percent since December 2005 and U.S. rates have remained lightly lower than the state's. Midland and Amarillo have posted the lowest unemployment rates recently, while McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission, Brownsville-Harlingen, and Beaumont-Port Arthur have had the highest rates.

Industry Trends

For the first quarter of 2006, venture capitalists in Texas invested primarily in the Texas electronics/instrumentation, software, semiconductors, financial services, and industrial/energy industries. Several Texas universities and research institutions are leaders in electronics, medical, biotechnology, aerospace, advanced materials, and energy-related research.

The value of sales and receipts of minority-owned firms in Texas reached $1.81 trillion in 2002, up from $1.41 trillion in 1997 (from the latest 5-year Economic Census available, 1997 - 2002).

In 2002, there were 469,049 women-owned firms in Texas, up 23 percent from 381,453 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts rose 3 percent from $65.1 billion in 1997 to $66.7 billion in 2002. Texas ranked third nationally for the number of firms and sales and receipts of women-owned firms.

In 2002, there were 319,340 Hispanic-owned firms in Texas, up 33 percent from 240,396 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts rose 7 percent from $39.48 billion in 1997 to $42.21 in 2002. Texas ranked second nationally for the number of firms and sales and receipts of Hispanic-owned firms. One in five U.S. Hispanic-owned firms calls Texas home. Three of the top MSAs with the largest number of Hispanic-owned firms - Houston-Baytown-Huntsville (#3), Dallas-Fort Worth (#5), and Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville (#9) - and three of the top counties with the largest number of Hispanic-owned firms - Harris, Hidalgo, and Bexar - are in Texas.

In 2002, there were 88,769 Black-owned firms in Texas, up 47 percent from 60,427 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts declined 2 percent from $6.85 billion in 1997 to $6.69 billion in 2002. Texas ranked third nationally for sales and receipts and fifth nationally for the number of firms of Black-owned firms.

In 2002, there were 78,018 Asian-owned firms in Texas, up 32 percent from 59,318 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts rose 24 percent from $18.22 billion in 1997 to $22.62 billion in 2002. Texas ranked third nationally for the number of firms and sales and receipts of Asian-owned firms.

In 2002, there were 16,863 Native American-owned firms in Texas, up 8 percent from 15,668 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts rose very slightly from $3.32 billion in 1997 to $3.321 billion in 2002. Texas ranked third nationally for the number of firms and second nationally for sales and receipts of Native American-owned firms.

In 2002, there were 1,543 Pacific Islander-owned firms in Texas, up 70 percent from 908 firms in 1997. Sales and receipts greatly declined from $624 million in 1997 to $277 million in 2002. Texas ranked fifth nationally for the number of firms and third nationally for sales and receipts of Pacific Islander-owned firms.