Houston frontend developer salary: rankings and context
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$6,500; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$89,000.
Houston vs the national and TX picture
San Jose leads at US$166,670, 87% above Houston, while Portland sits at US$73,920. The neighbours in the ranking are Denver and Austin.
TX has 4 metros with observed figures for this role. Their average is US$87,100, and Houston comes 2nd, +2% against it; elsewhere in the state: San Antonio (US$77,730), Dallas (US$96,740) and Austin (US$84,960).
Is US$89,040 a good salary in Houston?
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$89,000).
Adjusting for prices does not move Houston in the ranking: it is 14th of 19 on both cash and buying power.
Run the median through our simplified tax model (12% effective) and about US$6,500 lands each month. Budget US$1,650 for a modeled 1-bedroom — 25% of pay — and other modeled costs, and roughly US$3,030 remains.
Houston vs nearby TX metros
San Antonio (also in TX) pays US$77,730, 13% less than Houston; modeled monthly leftover is US$740 lower.
Dallas (also in TX) pays US$96,740, 9% more than Houston; modeled monthly leftover is US$500 higher.
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$104,820 (+18% vs Houston), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,020 more each month.
Other Houston jobs compared with frontend developer
Of the 9 roles we track in Houston, Frontend Developer is 8th by median; the highest is Lawyer (US$157,980).
Closest neighbours in the Houston list: Project Manager at US$99,510 (+12%) and Accountant at US$85,090 (-4%).
How Houston ranks at the low and high end
Top earners do comparatively well in Houston — 13th of 19 at the 90th percentile — while entry-level pay ranks 15th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$233,990 at the 90th percentile, +63% against Houston.
How wide frontend developer pay runs in Houston
The 90th percentile (US$143,640) is 2.8× the 10th (US$52,000), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.