2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Houston vs. New York

Civil Engineers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 17-2051
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
100k150k HOUSTON $100,950 NEW YORK $107,330
Table 1 — Adjusted

New York's median is 6.3% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Houston.

Houston's median $100,950 buys $102,400 at national prices (price parity 98.6); New York's $107,330 buys $95,400 (112.6).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is New York against Houston.

HoustonNew YorkΔ
Employment12,14015,590+28.4%
10th percentile$67,250$78,250+16.4%
25th percentile$80,010$88,710+10.9%
Median$100,950$107,330+6.3%
75th percentile$130,990$143,310+9.4%
90th percentile$168,240$176,400+4.9%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Civil Engineers in Houston · Civil Engineers in New York

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.