Oil and natural gas exploration and production employment in Texas increased by 400 jobs in August 2026 compared with July, according to a Sept. 21 news release from the Texas Oil & Gas Association citing newly released Texas Workforce Commission data.
Total upstream salaried employment stood at 195,900 jobs in August 2026, up 500 jobs from a year earlier, the association said. “Upstream employment” refers to jobs that focus on locating and extracting energy resources, according to the release.
“One of the best hedges against geopolitical shocks is controlling your own energy supply,” TXOGA President Todd Staples said in the release. “The men and women who explore, drill, and produce are an integral reason Texas leads the nation in energy production and why America remains the world’s leader in delivering safe, reliable energy.”
The association said the economic reach of the upstream sector extends well beyond direct payrolls. According to TXOGA, upstream positions support an additional 232,000 indirect jobs within the supply chain and 420,000 induced jobs supported by household spending across the economy, so that the upstream sector alone sustains a total of 848,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.
The release also placed the monthly figure in a longer-term context. Since September 2020, Texas upstream oil and gas employment has increased by 38,900 jobs, a gain of nearly 25 percent, the association said.
Founded in 1919, TXOGA describes itself as the oldest and largest oil and natural gas trade association in Texas, representing every facet of the industry. The figures are part of the association’s regular monthly updates on upstream employment drawn from state workforce data.