Citing the latest Current Employment Statistics (CES) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) has highlighted new employment figures showing an increase in upstream employment in Texas in the month of May. According to TIPRO’s analysis, direct Texas upstream employment for May totaled 208,200, an increase of 2,200 industry positions from April employment numbers, subject to revisions. This represented an increase of 600 jobs in the services sector and 1,600 jobs in oil and gas extraction.
TIPRO’s new workforce data indicated strong job postings for the Texas oil and natural gas industry, although May data showed a decline in overall unique postings compared to the previous month. According to the association, there were 8,157 active unique jobs postings for the Texas oil and natural gas industry last month, compared to 8,826 postings in April, and 3,050 new postings, compared to 3,919 in the previous month. In comparison, the state of New York had 2,661 unique job postings in May, followed by California (2,639), Florida (1,544) and Colorado (1,264). TIPRO reported a total of 49,798 unique job postings nationwide last month within the oil and natural gas sector, including 17,962 new postings.
Among the 19 specific industry sectors TIPRO uses to define the Texas oil and natural gas industry, Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations led in the ranking for unique job listings in May with 1,972 postings, followed by Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (1,447) and Petroleum Refineries (824). The leading three cities by total unique oil and natural gas job postings were Houston (2,064), Midland (546) and Odessa (398), said TIPRO.
The top three companies ranked by unique job postings in May were Love’s (656), John Wood Group (268), and ExxonMobil (264), according to the association. Of the top ten companies listed by unique job postings last month, five companies were in the services sector, two midstream companies, one in the gasoline stations with convenience stores category, one petroleum refinery company and one oil and gas operator. Top posted industry occupations for May included retail salespersons (355), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (285), and maintenance and repair workers, general (284). The top posted job titles for May included maintenance technicians (118), retail cashiers (77), and sales associates (70).
Top qualifications for unique job postings included valid driver’s license (1,613), CDL class a license (244) and transportation worker identification credential (TWIC) (137). TIPRO reports that 36 percent of unique job postings had no education requirement listed, 34 percent required a bachelor’s degree and 31% required a high school diploma or GED. There were 1,708 advertised salary observations (21% of the 8,157 matching postings) with a median salary of $58,200. The highest percentage of advertised salaries (28 percent) were in the $90,000 to $350,000 range.
TIPRO also highlights strong tax contributions by the state’s oil and gas industry that continue to offer essential support of government coffers and provide important funding for public services. In May, Texas energy producers paid $411 million in oil production taxes, according to the Texas comptroller’s office. Producers last month also paid $227 million to the state in natural gas production taxes, up 26 percent from May 2024.
Additionally, TIPRO points to recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showing domestic crude oil production reached an all-time high of 13.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2025. Oil production has jumped this year after hitting a record 13.2 million bpd in 2024, 2 percent more than the previous record set in 2023. Almost all of the production growth has come from the Permian Basin region. Due to market conditions and fluctuations in oil prices, U.S. oil production is forecasted to average 13.4 million bpd through the end of the year, and dip slightly below that amount in 2026, said EIA analysts.
“Despite a great deal of uncertainty in energy markets, driven in part by the financial impact of steel and aluminum tariffs, and more significantly from escalating geopolitical conflicts, the Texas oil and natural gas industry continues to maintain its focus on providing reliable energy to meet demand here and abroad,” said Ed Longanecker, president of TIPRO. “If a resolution is not achieved in the conflict between Isarel and Iran, retaliatory actions could include closing the Strait of Hormuz, which handles approximately 26 percent of global oil trade. TIPRO continues to monitor these factors closely, while working with U.S. policymakers to strengthen our position as the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas,” concluded Longanecker.
