Texas construction employment hit 921,700 in July 2026, up 17,500 jobs year over year, making it the nation's top performer for monthly construction-job gains, according to BLS data. That strength is driven by sustained demand across highways, bridges, utilities, water and sewer infrastructure, rail, and earthwork. The labor market is tightest at field leadership. Superintendents, project managers, estimators, project engineers, and construction executives remain the hardest roles to fill. The ABC reports the industry needs 349,000 net new workers in 2026, with 92% of firms struggling to recruit. For hiring managers, competition for qualified talent is fierce. For candidates, that translates to strong negotiating power, especially in senior superintendent, project manager, and estimator roles. Pay moves with project size and complexity, sector, years of experience, licenses, and travel requirements. For current pay ranges by role, see our Construction Placement Pay Index at https://amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index/
More from Amundson Group: the heavy civil recruiting desk and our Texas construction recruiting guide.