Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Industrial Engineer Salary in Houston, TX

Industrial Engineers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $111,690 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $87,404 take-home, or $7,284 a month.

Median salary
$111,690
$53.70 per hour
Typical range
$73,840 – $174,320
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
8,620
1.11× national concentration
▼3.9%
Pay trend: The median for industrial engineers in Houston, TX fell from $116,170 (May 2024) to $111,690 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 6.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median industrial engineer salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Industrial Engineer in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$87,404
per year · effective tax rate 21.7%
$7,284Monthly
$3,642Twice a month
$3,362Every 2 weeks
$42.02Hourly
  • Federal income tax$15,742
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,925
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,620
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$87,404

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Industrial Engineer pay by experience in Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$73,840$35.50$60,776$5,065
25th percentile$92,700$44.57$74,044$6,170
Median (50th)$111,690$53.70$87,404$7,284
75th percentile$151,370$72.77$114,727$9,561
90th percentile (top earners)$174,320$83.81$130,414$10,868

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $111,690 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median industrial engineer's $87,404 take-home pay has the buying power of $88,619 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
18% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
21% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$5,968
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Industrial Engineer jobs are about as common in Houston, TX as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.11).

Best-paying cities for industrial engineers, adjusted for cost of living

Houston, TX ranks #2 of 30 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $131,210$100,948$90,835
2Houston, TX $111,690$87,404$88,619
3San Jose, CA $136,950$94,584$85,656
4Portland, OR $129,890$89,487$84,886
5Cincinnati, OH $105,140$80,687$84,604
6Austin, TX $103,610$81,720$83,331
7Cleveland, OH $99,300$76,739$81,704
8Columbus, OH $100,570$77,598$81,281

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 30 metros →

About the job: industrial engineers

Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+12.4% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Industrial Engineer salaries elsewhere in Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a industrial engineer make in Houston, TX?

The median industrial engineer salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $111,690 a year, or about $53.70 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $92,700 and $151,370.

What is a industrial engineer’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?

On the median $111,690 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $87,404 a year ($7,284 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a industrial engineer?

Pay here is 9% above the national median of $102,440. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $88,619 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #2 of 30 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a industrial engineer afford rent in Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 18% of a median industrial engineer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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