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A Closer Look: Medical Industry Losses & Gains in Texas 2026

  • Writer: Adam Purvis
    Adam Purvis
  • 5 days ago
  • 4 min read



Introduction

Texas continues to add healthcare jobs, but the growth is not evenly distributed across every type of employer or every part of the state. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that the broader healthcare sector remained larger in June 2026 than it was one year earlier, even as several major subsectors experienced a short-term decline between May and June. For healthcare professionals, the result is a labor market that remains generally favorable but is becoming more dependent on location, specialty, and employment setting.



Texas Healthcare Employment Remains on Upward Track

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not use “medical industry” as a formal industry classification. Instead, most medical employers are included within the umbrellas of Health Care and Social Assistance.


Texas had approximately 1,750,900 Health Care and Social Assistance jobs in June 2026, compared with 1,722,800 in June 2025. That represents a year-over-year gain of approximately 28,100 jobs, or 1.6 percent.[1]


Healthcare and social assistance employment represented approximately 12.1 percent of all Texas nonfarm payroll employment in June 2026. Texas had roughly 14.47 million nonfarm jobs overall, while the broader Education and Health Services category—which also includes private educational services—had just over 2 million jobs.[1][2]


These figures indicate that healthcare remains one of the state’s largest employment bases. They also show continued expansion despite a broader Texas labor market that has grown at a relatively moderate pace.



Physician Offices Produced a Significant Share of Gains

One of the clearest areas of growth was employment in physicians’ offices. Texas physician offices employed approximately 295,700 people in June 2026, up from 283,300 in June 2025. That is an increase of approximately 12,400 jobs, or 4.4 percent, in one year.[3]


Based on these estimates, employment growth in physician offices accounted for roughly 44 percent of the net year-over-year gain across the broader Health Care and Social Assistance sector. This does not mean that physician offices created 44 percent of every healthcare opening, but it does demonstrate how strongly this particular setting contributed to the sector’s overall expansion.[1][3]


For job seekers, this may point to growing opportunities outside traditional inpatient environments.



Hospitals Added Jobs During Q3-Q4 of 2025

Texas hospital payrolls also increased during the latter portion of 2025. Hospital employment rose from approximately 379,300 in August 2025 to 384,900 in December 2025, an increase of about 5,600 jobs, or 1.5 percent, over that four-month period.[5]


Because these figures are not seasonally adjusted, they should not be treated as a precise long-term growth rate. However, the consistent increases reported from August through December suggest that hospitals continued to expand their payrolls during the closing months of 2025, with momentum likely to continue into Q1 and Q2 of 2026.



Short-Term Losses Appeared in June 2026

Although the annual trend remained positive, Texas healthcare employment declined between May and June 2026. Health Care and Social Assistance payrolls fell from approximately 1,756,300 jobs in May to 1,750,900 in June, a one-month reduction of roughly 5,400 jobs, or 0.3 percent.[1]


Most of that monthly decline appeared within ambulatory care: Ambulatory Health Care Services declined by approximately 4,500 jobs, from 913,100 in May to 908,600 in June.[4]


A one-month reduction doesn't reflect normal seasonal employment patterns, reporting changes, delayed hiring, or short-term adjustments rather than a lasting contraction. The stronger year-over-year numbers show that the sector was still larger than it had been in June 2025; however, if the trend continues into Q3 and Q4 of 2026, it may be indicative of a contraction or slowdown.



Conclusion

Texas healthcare employment entered the middle of 2026 in a stronger position than it held one year earlier, adding approximately 28,100 Health Care and Social Assistance jobs. Physician offices produced some of the most notable growth, while hospitals expanded during the latter part of 2025. At the same time, the June figures show that employment does not rise every month or in every setting. For healthcare professionals, the overall outlook remains positive, but opportunities will continue to vary based on geography, specialty, and the type of organization doing the hiring.


[1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Health Care and Social Assistance in Texas, series SMU48000006562000001, June 2025–June 2026.

[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas Economy at a Glance, nonfarm wage and salary employment, data extracted July 22, 2026.

[3] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Offices of Physicians in Texas, series SMU48000006562110001, June 2025–June 2026.

[4] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Ambulatory Health Care Services in Texas, series SMU48000006562100001, 2025–June 2026.

[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Hospitals in Texas, series SMU48000006562200001, August–December 2025.

[6] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Home Health Care Services in Texas, series SMU48000006562160001, May–June 2026.

[7] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics—State and Area, Nursing and Residential Care Facilities in Texas, series SMU48000006562300001, May–June 2026.

[8] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, County Employment and Wages in Texas—Fourth Quarter 2025, released June 11, 2026.


 
 
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