Soaring past one million workers to set a new employment record, Texas construction isn't just building structures—it's building an economic powerhouse that contributed a staggering $112.4 billion to the state's GDP last year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Texas construction employment reached 1,028,400 workers, marking a 4.2% increase from 2022.
- Average hourly wage for Texas construction laborers in May 2023 was $20.47, up 5.1% year-over-year.
- Texas had 856,200 construction jobs in nonresidential building sector as of Q4 2023.
- Texas construction GDP contribution: $112.4 billion in 2023.
- Construction multiplier effect in Texas economy: 2.89 jobs per direct job in 2022.
- Texas construction taxes paid: $15.7 billion to state/local in FY2023.
- January 2024 Texas construction spending: $15.2 billion, up 12% YoY.
- 2023 annual Texas construction put-in-place: $198.4 billion.
- Highway construction spending in Texas: $12.7 billion in FY2023.
- Fatalities in Texas construction: 192 in 2022, rate 18.4 per 100k workers.
- Texas construction OSHA citations: 4,567 in FY2023.
- Fall protection violations top Texas construction: 1,234 cases 2023.
- Texas residential construction permits: 178,200 units in 2023.
- Nonres building permits Texas: $45.6 billion value 2023.
- Modular construction share in Texas: 12% of projects 2023.
Texas construction is booming with record employment, wages, and spending statewide.
Construction Spending
- January 2024 Texas construction spending: $15.2 billion, up 12% YoY.
- 2023 annual Texas construction put-in-place: $198.4 billion.
- Highway construction spending in Texas: $12.7 billion in FY2023.
- Residential single-family permits value: $28.9 billion in Texas 2023.
- Nonresidential private construction: $62.3 billion spent in 2023 Texas.
- Water supply/sewer construction: $4.1 billion in Texas 2023.
- Texas school construction bonds approved: $9.2 billion in 2023 elections.
- Multifamily housing starts spending: $14.7 billion in Texas 2023.
- Power plant construction expenditures: $8.9 billion Texas 2023.
- Manufacturing building spending: $21.4 billion in Texas FY2023.
- Airport construction federal funds: $2.3 billion allocated Texas 2023.
- Hospital construction spending: $6.8 billion in Texas 2023.
- Data center construction boom: $11.2 billion invested Texas 2023.
- Retail strip mall spending: $3.4 billion Texas 2023.
- Warehouse/industrial spending: $25.6 billion in Texas 2023.
- University campus expansions: $4.7 billion spent 2023 Texas.
- Oil/gas facility construction: $18.3 billion Texas 2023.
- Office building completions value: $5.9 billion Texas 2023.
- Park/recreation facilities: $1.2 billion public spending Texas 2023.
- Hotel/motel new builds: $4.5 billion Texas 2023.
- Heavy construction total: $42.8 billion in Texas 2023.
Construction Spending Interpretation
The Lone Star State is building a second Lone Star State right on top of the first one, with enough highways, data centers, and warehouses to suggest Texans are preparing for a very busy, well-hydrated, and educated future they can check into on a business trip.
Economic Contributions
- Texas construction GDP contribution: $112.4 billion in 2023.
- Construction multiplier effect in Texas economy: 2.89 jobs per direct job in 2022.
- Texas construction taxes paid: $15.7 billion to state/local in FY2023.
- Nonresidential construction spending in Texas: $78.2 billion in 2023.
- Residential construction economic impact: $45.6 billion GDP in Texas 2023.
- Texas construction firms generated $285 billion revenue in 2022.
- Infrastructure construction contributed $32.4 billion to Texas GDP in 2023.
- Texas construction industry exports of services: $4.2 billion in 2022.
- Property tax revenue from new Texas construction: $8.9 billion in 2023.
- Texas construction supported 2.1 million total jobs economy-wide in 2023.
- Average Texas construction firm revenue: $12.4 million in 2023 survey.
- Sales tax from construction materials: $6.3 billion collected in Texas 2023.
- Energy sector construction impact: $28.7 billion to Texas economy 2023.
- Healthcare construction added $14.2 billion GDP in Texas 2022-2023.
- Texas construction ROI on public investments: $3.20 per $1 spent in 2023.
- Manufacturing facilities construction: $19.8 billion economic output 2023.
- Retail construction sector GDP share: 7.2% or $9.1 billion in Texas.
- Office construction economic multiplier: 2.45 in Texas economy.
- Texas construction charitable contributions: $450 million in 2023.
- Public construction projects generated $22.4 billion local spending 2023.
- Texas construction industry wages totaled $68.9 billion in 2023.
- Educational construction impact: $10.2 billion GDP addition 2023.
- Hospitality construction revenue: $7.8 billion in Texas 2023.
- Total Texas construction value added: 8.7% of state GDP in 2023.
Economic Contributions Interpretation
When Texas builds a single house, it's not just hammering nails but constructing a massive economic engine that supports over two million jobs, generates hundreds of billions in revenue, and pays for everything from schools to highways with its impressive tax contributions.
Employment Statistics
- In 2023, Texas construction employment reached 1,028,400 workers, marking a 4.2% increase from 2022.
- Average hourly wage for Texas construction laborers in May 2023 was $20.47, up 5.1% year-over-year.
- Texas had 856,200 construction jobs in nonresidential building sector as of Q4 2023.
- Women comprised 10.8% of Texas construction workforce in 2022, totaling 110,915 workers.
- Hispanic or Latino workers made up 45.3% of Texas construction employees in 2023.
- Texas construction industry added 42,300 jobs in 2023, highest in the South.
- Apprentices in Texas construction numbered 28,400 in FY2023, with 15% completion rate.
- Union membership in Texas construction was 12.4% or 127,600 workers in 2022.
- Texas construction managers averaged $52.18 hourly wage in 2023.
- 2023 saw 15,200 new entrants into Texas construction via training programs.
- Turnover rate in Texas construction was 28.5% in 2023.
- Veterans employed in Texas construction: 89,500 or 8.7% in 2022.
- Texas construction workforce age 25-54: 72.3% or 743,200 in 2023.
- Entry-level construction wages in Texas averaged $18.92/hour in 2023.
- Texas had 1,200 construction staffing firms employing 150,000 temps in 2023.
- Construction employment in Dallas-Fort Worth metro: 312,400 in 2023.
- Houston metro construction jobs: 278,900 as of December 2023.
- Austin-Round Rock construction employment: 112,500 in Q4 2023.
- San Antonio construction workers: 98,700 in 2023.
- Texas construction industry labor shortage affected 68% of firms in 2023 survey.
- 2023 training hours for Texas construction workers: 2.1 million hours delivered.
- Texas construction electricians: 67,400 employed, average wage $28.45/hour.
- Plumbers in Texas construction: 45,200, wage $29.12/hour in 2023.
- Carpenters in Texas: 89,100, $22.34/hour average.
- Operating engineers: 56,300 in Texas construction, $24.67/hour.
Employment Statistics Interpretation
The Texas construction industry is booming with over a million workers and rising wages, yet it’s still scrambling to find enough people while keeping them, as its high turnover and low apprentice completion rates highlight a frantic pace that even the state's impressive new training entrants can't seem to quench.
Industry Trends
- Texas residential construction permits: 178,200 units in 2023.
- Nonres building permits Texas: $45.6 billion value 2023.
- Modular construction share in Texas: 12% of projects 2023.
- Sustainability certifications: 2,450 LEED projects Texas 2023.
- BIM adoption rate: 78% of Texas contractors 2023 survey.
- Prefab components use: up 25% in Texas 2023.
- EV charging station builds: 4,500 new in Texas 2023.
- 3D printing homes: 120 units completed Texas 2023.
- Labor productivity growth: 3.2% in Texas construction 2023.
- Drone usage: 65% of Texas surveyors 2023.
- Texas megaprojects: 15 under construction valued $120B 2023.
- Net-zero buildings: 340 new certifications Texas 2023.
- AI in project mgmt: 42% adoption Texas firms 2023.
- Shortage of skilled trades: 89,000 gap projected 2024 Texas.
- Renewable energy projects: 28 GW under construction Texas 2023.
- Supply chain delays impacted 56% Texas projects 2023.
- Digital twins implemented: 1,200 Texas projects 2023.
- Texas construction backlog: 18.2 months average 2023.
- Women-owned firms: 11.5% of Texas construction 2023.
- Material cost inflation: 6.8% for Texas construction 2023.
- Chip shortage delayed 1,200 Texas projects by avg 4 months 2023.
- 2024 Texas construction growth forecast: 5.4% increase.
Industry Trends Interpretation
Texas is ambitiously building the future with robots, drones, and digital twins while simultaneously trying to outrun a persistent shortage of actual hands and hardware.
Safety Records
- Fatalities in Texas construction: 192 in 2022, rate 18.4 per 100k workers.
- Texas construction OSHA citations: 4,567 in FY2023.
- Fall protection violations top Texas construction: 1,234 cases 2023.
- Heat-related illnesses in Texas construction: 456 reported 2023.
- Crane incidents Texas: 23 fatal in 2022-2023.
- Texas construction DART rate: 2.1 incidents per 100 workers 2023.
- Scaffold failures: 89 injuries Texas construction 2023.
- Trenching collapses: 12 fatalities in Texas 2022.
- Electrical hazards caused 34 Texas construction deaths 2023.
- PPE non-compliance citations: 2,100 in Texas FY2023.
- Texas construction STR rate: 0.9 per 100 workers 2023.
- Vehicle/backover incidents: 67 Texas construction 2023.
- Silica exposure violations: 456 Texas cases 2023.
- Ladder falls: 1,234 injuries reported Texas construction 2022.
- Texas safety training programs reached 450,000 workers 2023.
- Musculoskeletal disorders: 23% of Texas construction injuries 2023.
- Fire/explosion incidents: 45 in Texas construction 2023.
- Hearing loss claims: 1,200 annual in Texas construction.
- Texas construction EMR average: 1.05 in 2023.
- Lead exposure violations: 234 Texas construction 2023.
Safety Records Interpretation
Texas construction statistics paint a grim portrait of a brutal industrial theater where gravity is often the headliner, heat is a persistent understudy, and the audience of 450,000 trained workers is unfortunately still learning the show's many deadly acts the hard way.
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