What is the average salary in Houston?

The median annual wage across all occupations in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX area is $48,490, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2024. That covers roughly 3.2 million workers.

How much do you take home after taxes in Houston?

On the $48,490 median wage, a single filer in Houston takes home about $41,142 per year ($3,428 per month) after federal, state taxes — an effective rate of 15.2%.

Does Houston have a city income tax?

No. Houston does not levy a local income tax, so residents pay federal, FICA, and Texas state income tax — and Texas has no state income tax either.

Houston Salary Calculator — Take-Home Pay After Tax (2026)

The median wage across all occupations in Houston is $48,490, which leaves about $41,142 after federal, Texas state taxes.

✓No Texas state income tax and no city income tax

Median Wage

$48,490

all occupations

Take-Home

$41,142

$3,428/mo

Effective Tax Rate

15.2%

fed + state + FICA

Workers

3.2M

rank #17 of 20 by pay

Full Tax Breakdown — $48,490 in Houston

Single filer, standard deduction, 2026 rates.

Annual Take-Home$41,142After all taxes

Monthly$3,428Net per month

Bi-Weekly$1,582Every 2 weeks

Effective Tax Rate15.2%Fed + state + FICA

Where Your Money Goes

15.2%effective rate

Take-Home$41,14284.8%

Federal Tax$3,6397.5%

FICA$3,7097.7%

Federal Tax Brackets

10%

$1,240

12%

$2,399

Affordability Snapshot

Based on your $3,428/mo take-home — 50/30/20 rule

Needs (50%)$1,714/mo

Rent, groceries, utilities, transport

Wants (30%)$1,029/mo

Dining, entertainment, hobbies

Savings (20%)$686/mo

401k, emergency fund, investments

🏠

Recommended Max Rent

$1,029/mo

30% of monthly take-home — the commonly recommended housing cost ceiling.

Annual Savings Potential

$8,228

Daily Take-Home

$158

Paycheck Breakdown

All figures in USD

Item	Annual	Monthly	Bi-Weekly	Weekly	Daily	Hourly
Gross Pay	$48,490	$4,041	$1,865	$933	$187	$23
Federal Income Tax	−$3,639	−$303	−$140	−$70	−$14	−$2
State Income Tax	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Social Security	−$3,006	−$251	−$116	−$58	−$12	−$1
Medicare	−$703	−$59	−$27	−$14	−$3	−$0
Total Taxes	−$7,348	−$612	−$283	−$141	−$28	−$4
Take-Home Pay	$41,142	$3,428	$1,582	$791	$158	$20

Federal Rate

7.5%

State Rate

0.0%

Total Rate

15.2%

State-by-State Comparison

Same $48,490 salary across popular states

State	Take-Home	Total Tax	Eff. Rate
TXTexasNo TaxYou	$41,142	$7,348	15.2%
FLFloridaNo Tax	$41,142	$7,348	15.2%
NVNevadaNo Tax	$41,142	$7,348	15.2%
OHOhio	$40,591 -$551	$7,899 -$551/yr	16.3%
WAWashingtonNo Tax	$40,469 -$673	$8,021 -$673/yr	16.5%
PAPennsylvania	$39,619 -$1,523	$8,871 -$1,523/yr	18.3%
CACalifornia	$39,409 -$1,733	$9,081 -$1,733/yr	18.7%
GAGeorgia	$39,248 -$1,894	$9,242 -$1,894/yr	19.1%
ILIllinois	$38,886 -$2,255	$9,604 -$2,255/yr	19.8%
NYNew York	$38,880 -$2,262	$9,610 -$2,262/yr	19.8%

Ways to Increase Your Take-Home

📈

A $5,000 401(k) contribution saves $600/yr in taxes

Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce your federal and state taxable income. Contributing an additional $5,000 would increase your monthly take-home by $417 while building retirement savings.

💍

Married filing jointly saves $2,010/yr

If you're married, filing jointly gives you a $32,200 standard deduction (vs $16,100 single) and wider tax brackets. This would add $167/month to your take-home.

🏥

An HSA could save $865/yr in taxes

If you have a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you can contribute up to $4,400 to an HSA pre-tax. This reduces your taxable income and saves $865 in federal and state taxes — a triple tax advantage.

Results for $48,490 salary · 2026 tax year

Take-Home Pay by Salary in Houston

Gross Salary	Take-Home / Year	Per Month	Effective Rate
$40,000	$34,320	$2,860	14.2%
$50,000	$42,355	$3,530	15.3%
$60,000	$50,390	$4,199	16.0%
$75,000	$61,593	$5,133	17.9%
$100,000	$79,180	$6,598	20.8%
$125,000	$96,704	$8,059	22.6%
$150,000	$113,791	$9,483	24.1%
$200,000	$148,927	$12,411	25.5%

Houston Salaries by Occupation

BLS median wage for each occupation in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX area, with take-home after all 2026 taxes.

Occupation	Median Wage	Take-Home	Eff. Rate
Software Engineering Manager	$172,810	$129,382	25.1%
Dentist	$170,170	$127,577	25.0%
Marketing Manager	$144,420	$109,977	23.8%
Lawyer	$139,460	$106,587	23.6%
Pharmacist	$139,010	$106,279	23.5%
Human Resources Manager	$136,110	$104,297	23.4%
Physician Assistant	$134,840	$103,429	23.3%
Nurse Practitioner	$133,140	$102,267	23.2%
Software Developer	$127,940	$98,713	22.8%
Mechanical Engineer	$126,870	$97,982	22.8%
Veterinarian	$124,630	$96,451	22.6%
Physical Therapist	$111,070	$86,968	21.7%
Electrical Engineer	$110,210	$86,363	21.6%
Operations Manager	$108,090	$84,871	21.5%
Dental Hygienist	$103,050	$81,326	21.1%
Construction Manager	$101,850	$80,481	21.0%
Occupational Therapist	$101,050	$79,919	20.9%
Data Scientist	$100,420	$79,475	20.9%
Civil Engineer	$98,690	$78,258	20.7%
Financial Analyst	$98,310	$77,991	20.7%
Registered Nurse	$97,810	$77,639	20.6%
UX Designer	$82,710	$67,016	19.0%
Accountant	$81,290	$66,018	18.8%
Radiologic Technologist	$78,860	$64,308	18.5%
Police Officer	$75,450	$61,909	17.9%
Social Worker	$73,030	$60,207	17.6%
Elementary School Teacher	$61,950	$51,957	16.1%
Plumber	$60,230	$50,575	16.0%
Firefighter	$59,820	$50,245	16.0%
Electrician	$59,180	$49,731	16.0%
Psychologist	$56,640	$47,690	15.8%
Graphic Designer	$56,380	$47,481	15.8%
Truck Driver (Heavy)	$55,500	$46,774	15.7%
Real Estate Agent	$50,130	$42,459	15.3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (MSA 26420). Occupations BLS does not publish an estimate for in this metro are omitted rather than guessed.

How these Houston numbers are calculated

Wages are published BLS medians for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area — the wider metro, not Houston city limits. Taxes are 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and no Texas state income tax, for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Cost of living is not modeled — a higher wage here does not automatically mean more spending power. Full methodology.