--- title: "Texas Construction Salary by Metro: Houston vs DFW vs Austin vs San Antonio (2026)" description: "Texas construction pay metro by metro: Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio. Why DFW and Austin now beat Houston at the mid-tier." url: https://amundsongroup.com/texas-construction-salary-by-metro-2026/ published: 2026-04-16 modified: 2026-11-03 publisher: Amundson Group markdown_of: https://amundsongroup.com/texas-construction-salary-by-metro-2026/ --- # Texas Construction Salary by Metro: Houston vs DFW vs Austin vs San Antonio (2026) April 16, 2026 [Insights](https://amundsongroup.com/insights/) Texas is the largest construction economy in the South and the toughest hiring market the Sun Belt has seen in a decade. Pay differs by metro more than people assume. Here’s what 2026 looks like, city by city. **Hiring for heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, or wastewater work?** Amundson Group is a construction-only recruiter. First qualified resumes in 7 hours. [Send us the role](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/) or call [(832) 558-7982](tel:+18325587982). [Get the full 2026 Salary Guide (PDF)](https://amundsongroup.com/salary-guide/) *Texas Superintendent base, Low / Mid / High by metro.* ## The big picture Texas Super pay rose in 2025. Three things drove it: data center buildout in DFW and the I-35 corridor, semiconductor fab work pulling Austin pay up, and refinery and petrochem demand keeping Houston tight on the industrial side. ## Houston Houston is still the largest commercial construction economy in Texas by total volume, with industrial, healthcare, and Class A office work driving the most demand. Senior Supers on industrial and refinery work command the top of the Texas market. Commercial Super pay sits below DFW at the mid-tier, a reversal from 10 years ago. Where Houston pays best: industrial, petrochemical, healthcare, mid-rise commercial. Where it lags: data center (smaller pipeline than DFW), high-rise office (slower than peak years). Full Houston market detail: [Houston construction recruiting](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-houston/). ## Dallas / Fort Worth DFW is the most competitive hiring market in Texas in 2026. Data center demand alone has reset the senior tier. Mid-tier Supers with 8 to 12 years of commercial experience are now seeing higher base offers than they did two years ago. Add the hyperscale premium and a DFW data center Super realistically lands a higher base still, with bonus and sign-on layered on top. Where DFW pays best: data center, semiconductor (Sherman corridor), Class A commercial. Where it lags: industrial (Houston still leads). Full DFW market detail: [Dallas / DFW construction recruiting](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-dallas/). ## Austin Austin is the smallest of the four major Texas metros by total construction volume but the most concentrated on premium specialty work. Samsung’s Taylor fab, Apple’s campus expansions, and life sciences buildout have made Austin a national-rate market for specialty Supers and PMs. Mid-tier Austin Super pay matches or exceeds Houston now, especially on fab and life sciences. The cost of living premium gets baked into base. Full Austin market detail: [Austin construction recruiting](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-austin/). ## San Antonio San Antonio runs below DFW and Austin on commercial Super pay. The pipeline is steady but smaller, and out-of-market poaching is less common, so the bidding floor is lower. That said, San Antonio’s healthcare and mission-critical pipeline is growing, and we expect the gap to narrow over the next 18 months. Full San Antonio market detail: [San Antonio construction recruiting](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-san-antonio/). ## What this means if you operate across Texas If you’re a multi-market GC, your DFW and Austin offers need a Texas-corridor premium baked in. A flat Texas pay scale costs you candidates in the two metros where the market has moved most. Build metro-specific bands and update them every six months, not every two years. ## What this means for candidates Geography matters more in Texas in 2026 than it did in 2020. Moving from San Antonio to DFW for a comparable job is a real raise on base before any sign-on or relo. Moving from Houston to Austin on the specialty side can be similar. Read the full guide ### Texas pay across all roles, not just Super. [Open the 2026 Salary Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/salary-guide/) **Need to hire against these numbers?** Our team places Superintendents, PMs, Estimators, and Executives across the Sun Belt every week. [Talk to a recruiter](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/) and we will pull comps for your specific market and role. **Reviewed and updated August 9, 2026.** *Methodology note: Our salary data is drawn straight from where the hiring happens: the base salary agreed at the moment of hire on our own placements, published monthly in the [Construction Placement Pay Index](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index/).* *Related: [Construction Project Manager Salary in Texas: 2026 Breakdown](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-project-manager-salary-texas-2026/) · [Salary Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/salary-guide/)* *Related: [Construction Superintendent Jobs in Texas 2026 | Amundson Group](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-superintendent-jobs-texas-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Estimator Jobs in Texas | 2026 Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-estimator-jobs-texas-2026/)* *Related searches: [2026 Texas Construction Salary Guide: What PMs, Superintendents & Estimators Earn in Houston](https://amundsongroup.com/2026-texas-construction-salary-guide-houston/) · [Construction Project Manager Salary in Texas: 2026 Breakdown](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-project-manager-salary-texas-2026/)* *Related: [Heavy Civil Construction Recruiter Texas | Amundson Group 2026](https://amundsongroup.com/heavy-civil-construction-recruiter-texas-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Project Manager Recruiter in Texas: 2026 Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-project-manager-recruiter-texas-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Recruiters in Texas: 2026 Guide to Hiring Right](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-texas-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Superintendent Recruiter in Texas (2026 Guide)](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-superintendent-recruiter-texas-2026/)* **Need this hire made? Send us the role.** Amundson Group is a construction-only recruiter based in Houston, placing across the United States: heavy civil, site development, paving, data centers, rail, tunnels, wastewater, and underground utilities. 1,200+ construction placements to date, a 90,000+ professional network, first qualified resumes in 7 hours. Inc. 5000 in 2024 and 2025. Prefer to talk? Call [(832) 558-7982](tel:+18325587982) or use the full form at [amundsongroup.com/hire-talent](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/). Looking for your next role? [See open construction jobs](https://amundsongroup.com/jobs/). *Related: [Texas Jobs in Construction 2026: Where the Hiring Is](https://amundsongroup.com/texas-jobs-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Foreman Salary in Florida (2026)](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-foreman-salary-florida-2026/)* *Related: [Construction Foreman Salary in Georgia (2026)](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-foreman-salary-georgia-2026/)* *Related: [Pipe Crew Lead Pay in Florida: 2026 Placement Data](https://amundsongroup.com/pipe-crew-lead-salary-florida-2026/)* Written by Alex Mowbray Founder and Executive Chairman of Amundson Group [View full bio](https://amundsongroup.com/employees/alex-mowbray/) --- About Amundson Group: a Houston-headquartered construction recruiting firm placing superintendents, project managers, estimators, foremen and skilled trades with contractors across the United States in heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, tunnels, wastewater and underground utilities. 1,200+ construction placements to date, a network of 90,000+ construction professionals, 250+ companies served, the first qualified resume in about 7 hours and a shortlist in 7 days. Veteran owned, founded in January 2020 by Alex Mowbray, Inc. 5000 honoree in 2024 and 2025, SIA Best Staffing Firms to Work For 2023 and 2024, rated 4.9 on Google. 1336 Brittmoore Rd, Houston, TX 77043. (832) 558-7982. https://amundsongroup.com This page in HTML: https://amundsongroup.com/texas-construction-salary-by-metro-2026/. Every page on amundsongroup.com has a Markdown copy at the same URL with .md added. Site index for AI agents: https://amundsongroup.com/llms.txt