Texas Upstream Jobs Grow in June as Oilfield Services Hiring Offsets E&P Losses
Texas upstream oil and gas employment climbed to 197,700 workers in June, World Oil reports, citing new data from the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO). The state added 400 jobs overall as a gain of 1,300 positions in oilfield services offset a decline of 900 jobs in exploration and production. TIPRO also logged 10,978 unique oil and gas job postings across Texas in June, with Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations leading all segments at 2,502 postings. Houston topped hiring markets with 2,770 postings, followed by Midland, Odessa and Dallas. Separately, Texas producers paid $948 million in production taxes in June, including a record $736 million in oil production taxes, up 82% from June 2025. TIPRO President Ed Longanecker noted that tariffs on steel and other materials continue to raise drilling and completion costs even as oil prices climb.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- The 1,300-job gain in support activities for oil and gas operations, versus a 900-job loss in extraction, points to steady demand for oilfield service crews, well servicing, and completions work even as producer-side headcount softens.
- Firms bidding on Texas jobs should target Houston, Midland, Odessa and Dallas first, the state’s top four hiring markets by posting volume in June.
- Contractors sourcing steel for drilling and completion work should budget for continued tariff-driven cost increases, which Longanecker flagged as an active pressure point even with oil prices trading above recent breakeven levels.
- Firms working on produced water handling or inactive well plugging should watch TIPRO’s ongoing talks with Texas lawmakers on those specific regulatory issues, which could shape new compliance work in the state.
