Texas Manufacturing Facts

Manufacturers in Texas account for 12.98% of the total output in the state, employing 7.04% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $230.45 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 881,000 manufacturing employees in Texas in 2018, with an average annual compensation of $85,051.13 in 2017.

Manufacturing Output and Firms

Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$230.45
(Percent share of total gross state product)
12.98%
Manufacturing Firms in Texas (2016)
17,457

Employment and Compensation

Manufacturing Employment (2018)
881,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
7.04%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2017)
$85,051.13
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2017)
$47,793.99

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau

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Texas Export Facts

Manufacturers help to drive Texas’s economy, with $247.46 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2018. That same year, $157.15 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 26.10% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 93.00% percent of all exporters in Texas.

Manufacturing Exports

Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2018)
$247.46
(Percent share of total goods exports)
78.45%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2018)
28.44%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
865,745
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
26.10%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
93.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2018)
$157.15
(Percent of total exports, 2018)
63.51%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (NAFTA, 2018)
$123.48
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2018)
49.90%
Mexico
41.73%
Canada
8.17%
China
3.83%
Brazil
3.54%
South Korea
2.97%

Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau

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Additional Trade Facts

  • The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased nearly 49 percent ($679.46 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2018 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
  • FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.