AUSTIN – Data released by the Texas Workforce Commission indicates that upstream oil and gas employment in Texas continues to grow, with the sector adding 1,300 jobs in December. In 2022, upstream oil and gas saw significant increases in hiring with the job count growing by 36,100 jobs for the year.

“It is encouraging to see upstream employment end the year on a positive note, particularly as jobs seem to be contracting in the high-tech industry,” said Todd Staples, President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. “As the new year progresses, we are hopeful that demand for oil and natural gas remains strong and that policies for growth are supportive so that job creation and capital deployment remains positive.”

Since the COVID-low point in September of 2020, months of increase in upstream oil and gas employment in Texas have outnumbered months of decrease by 24 to 3. In that time, industry has added 54,200 Texas upstream jobs, an average growth of 2,007 jobs a month. These jobs pay among the highest wages in Texas, with employers in oil and natural gas paying an average salary of approximately $109,000 in 2021.

The upstream sector involves oil and natural gas extraction and excludes other industry sectors such as refining, petrochemicals, fuels wholesaling, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas utilities, which support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs in Texas. The employment shown also includes “Support Activities for Mining,” which is mostly oil and gas-related but also includes some small amount of other types of mining.

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Founded in 1919, TXOGA is the oldest and largest oil and gas trade association in Texas representing every facet of the industry.