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Economy

Employers in the Amarillo metro area (Armstrong, Carson, Oldham, Potter and Randall counties) reported an average of 124,641 jobs in 2025, up 8.9% from 114,504 in 2015 (our calculation), at an average annual pay of $62,215. The City of Amarillo's unemployment rate was 3.7% in August 2026 (preliminary). The Texas Comptroller sent the City $101.2 million in sales tax from January–October 2026, up 13.6% from the same months of 2025.

Each source covers a different area: job counts are for the metro area or a county (where the job is), unemployment for the city (where people live), sales tax for payments to the City government. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation.

Metro-area jobs, 2025: 124,641; annual average · 7,122 establishments
Average annual pay, 2025: $62,215; metro area · $43,222 in 2015
Unemployment rate, Aug 2026: 3.7%; City of Amarillo, preliminary · Texas 4.6%, U.S. 4.3%
City labor force, Aug 2026: 105,677; 101,814 employed · 3,863 unemployed
City sales tax, January–October 2026: $101.2M; +13.6% vs. same months of 2025

Jobs and pay, 2015–2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): jobs covered by unemployment insurance, counted where the job is, as a yearly average of monthly counts, with average annual pay per job. Self-employed people are not included. QCEW does not publish figures for the city alone. Potter and Randall counties had 93.0% of the metro area's jobs in 2025 (our calculation).

Annual average jobs, all employers (private and government). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW.

Line chart: average jobs in the Amarillo metro area rose from 114,504 in 2015 to 124,641 in 2025; Potter County 78,988 to 78,735; Randall County 29,427 to 37,224.
x	Metro area	Potter County	Randall County
2015	115k	79k	29k
2016	115k	79k	30k
2017	115k	78k	30k
2018	115k	78k	32k
2019	116k	77k	33k
2020	114k	74k	33k
2021	117k	76k	34k
2022	120k	77k	35k
2023	121k	77k	36k
2024	123k	78k	37k
2025	125k	79k	37k

Average annual pay per job

Total wages divided by average jobs, current dollars. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW.

Line chart: average annual pay per job in the Amarillo metro area rose from $43,222 in 2015 to $62,215 in 2025, not adjusted for inflation.
x	Metro area	Potter County	Randall County
2015	$43k	$42k	$41k
2016	$44k	$43k	$41k
2017	$45k	$44k	$42k
2018	$47k	$45k	$44k
2019	$48k	$47k	$45k
2020	$51k	$50k	$47k
2021	$53k	$53k	$48k
2022	$56k	$55k	$51k
2023	$58k	$57k	$53k
2024	$60k	$60k	$54k
2025	$62k	$61k	$56k

Jobs
Year	Metro	Potter	Randall
2015	114,504	78,988	29,427
2016	115,419	79,111	30,104
2017	114,783	78,323	30,479
2018	115,462	77,646	31,624
2019	116,274	77,158	32,692
2020	113,742	74,495	32,727
2021	116,768	76,056	33,983
2022	119,767	77,295	35,321
2023	121,297	77,367	36,143
2024	123,026	77,805	37,004
2025	124,641	78,735	37,224

Average annual pay
Year	Metro	Potter	Randall
2015	$43,222	$42,105	$41,216
2016	$43,694	$42,596	$41,131
2017	$44,893	$43,904	$42,483
2018	$46,524	$45,397	$44,092
2019	$48,110	$47,140	$44,893
2020	$50,805	$50,196	$46,641
2021	$52,960	$52,634	$48,386
2022	$55,675	$55,330	$50,777
2023	$57,749	$57,134	$52,592
2024	$60,224	$59,781	$54,315
2025	$62,215	$61,490	$55,868

Private employers and government, 2025

Jobs by type of employer. Government covers employers owned by a federal, state or local government, such as public school districts and the City and county governments. Government jobs were 18.0% of Potter County's jobs and 14.6% of Randall County's in 2025 (our calculation).

Employer	Potter jobs	Avg. pay	Randall jobs	Avg. pay
Federal government	2,221$101,374	$101,374	198$71,325	$71,325
State government	2,208$72,970	$72,970	2,172$46,554	$46,554
Local government	9,704$54,526	$54,526	3,056$52,526	$52,526
Private	64,602$60,773	$60,773	31,798$56,729	$56,729
All employers	78,735$61,490	$61,490	37,224$55,868	$55,868

Average annual pay under each job count.

Private industries and how concentrated they are, 2025

Private employers by industry (NAICS sector). The location quotient, calculated by BLS, compares an industry's share of all jobs in the county with its share of all jobs nationwide: 1.00 is the same share as the U.S., 2.00 twice the share, 0.50 half. BLS withholds figures that would reveal a single employer's data; those cells show "withheld" or —.

Health care and social assistance was Potter County's largest private industry in 2025, with 13,160 jobs. The three highest location quotients were for utilities (3.78), accommodation and food services (1.21) and manufacturing (1.19) in Potter County, and for retail trade (1.82), agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (1.62) and accommodation and food services (1.55) in Randall County.

Potter County, 2025

Utilitieslocation quotient 3.78
Accommodation and food serviceslocation quotient 1.21
Manufacturinglocation quotient 1.19
Health care and social assistancelocation quotient 1.13
Wholesale tradelocation quotient 1.13
Other serviceslocation quotient 1.07
Retail tradelocation quotient 1.04
Mining, quarrying and oil and gaslocation quotient 1.04
Constructionlocation quotient 0.98
Finance and insurancelocation quotient 0.91
Transportation and warehousinglocation quotient 0.85
Real estate and rental and leasinglocation quotient 0.83
Professional, scientific, and technical serviceslocation quotient 0.68
Administrative and support and waste serviceslocation quotient 0.62
Arts, entertainment, and recreationlocation quotient 0.61
Informationlocation quotient 0.44
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and huntinglocation quotient 0.42
Management of companies and enterpriseslocation quotient 0.26
Educational serviceslocation quotient 0.17

Randall County, 2025

Retail tradelocation quotient 1.82
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and huntinglocation quotient 1.62
Accommodation and food serviceslocation quotient 1.55
Constructionlocation quotient 1.55
Utilitieslocation quotient 1.46
Wholesale tradelocation quotient 1.36
Other serviceslocation quotient 1.27
Arts, entertainment, and recreationlocation quotient 0.95
Real estate and rental and leasinglocation quotient 0.93
Transportation and warehousinglocation quotient 0.81
Finance and insurancelocation quotient 0.78
Health care and social assistancelocation quotient 0.68
Professional, scientific, and technical serviceslocation quotient 0.46
Educational serviceslocation quotient 0.36
Manufacturinglocation quotient withheld
Administrative and support and waste serviceslocation quotient withheld
Informationlocation quotient withheld
Management of companies and enterpriseslocation quotient withheld
Mining, quarrying and oil and gaslocation quotient withheld

Location quotient vs. the U.S., on a doubling scale; the line is 1.00. Bars right of the line: a larger share than nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW.

Jobs, pay and establishments by industry

Industry	Potter jobsJobs	Avg. pay	Estab.	LQ	Randall jobsJobs	Avg. pay	Estab.	LQ
	Potter County				Randall County
Health care and social assistance	13,160LQ 1.13	$66,033	566	1.13	3,740LQ 0.68	$52,230	303	0.68
Accommodation and food services	8,611LQ 1.21	$24,388	402	1.21	5,227LQ 1.55	$21,303	221	1.55
Retail trade	8,084LQ 1.04	$39,268	459	1.04	6,682LQ 1.82	$39,230	350	1.82
Manufacturing	7,550LQ 1.19	$62,183	145	1.19	—withheld	—	87	—
Construction	4,083LQ 0.98	$67,759	356	0.98	3,059LQ 1.55	$76,507	344	1.55
Professional, scientific, and technical services	3,691LQ 0.68	$78,357	384	0.68	1,184LQ 0.46	$73,251	242	0.46
Wholesale trade	3,442LQ 1.13	$100,914	207	1.13	1,966LQ 1.36	$66,983	116	1.36
Finance and insurance	2,896LQ 0.91	$100,900	233	0.91	1,177LQ 0.78	$82,983	199	0.78
Administrative and support and waste services	2,847LQ 0.62	$55,689	206	0.62	—withheld	—	152	—
Transportation and warehousing	2,844LQ 0.85	$71,923	152	0.85	1,277LQ 0.81	$75,283	83	0.81
Other services	2,528LQ 1.07	$48,860	300	1.07	1,420LQ 1.27	$49,458	236	1.27
Utilities	1,150LQ 3.78	$101,926	21	3.78	210LQ 1.46	$123,427	9	1.46
Real estate and rental and leasing	1,012LQ 0.83	$58,379	208	0.83	537LQ 0.93	$52,288	139	0.93
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	822LQ 0.61	$27,776	54	0.61	603LQ 0.95	$18,793	43	0.95
Information	636LQ 0.44	$71,475	39	0.44	—withheld	—	26	—
Management of companies and enterprises	338LQ 0.26	$184,033	26	0.26	—withheld	—	14	—
Mining, quarrying and oil and gas	300LQ 1.04	$103,098	30	1.04	—withheld	—	18	—
Educational services	274LQ 0.17	$41,968	26	0.17	282LQ 0.36	$40,634	30	0.36
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	264LQ 0.42	$60,270	58	0.42	477LQ 1.62	$47,650	68	1.62
Unclassified	69LQ 0.68	$41,561	34	0.68	—withheld	—	11	—
All private employers	64,602	$60,773	3,908	0.96	31,798	$56,729	2,692	1.00

Sorted by Potter County jobs. Establishments are worksites (a business with three locations counts three times). Withheld for Randall County in 2025: manufacturing, administrative and support and waste services, information, management of companies and enterprises, mining, quarrying and oil and gas, unclassified. Industry rows don't add up to the total where figures are withheld. LQ (location quotient) is under each job count.

Industry of the people who live in Amarillo, from the Census Bureau's survey, is on the People page; it counts residents by where they live, not jobs by where they are.

Unemployment

Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics: monthly estimates for people who live in the City of Amarillo, not seasonally adjusted (so the rate moves with the seasons). BLS counts as unemployed people who had no job, were available for work and had looked for work in the prior four weeks. The latest month is preliminary and is revised. BLS published no estimates for October 2025: "Annual estimates for 2025 are 11-month averages that exclude October. Data for October 2025 were not collected due to the federal government shutdown."

The city's rate was 3.7% in August 2026 (preliminary), compared with 3.4% a year earlier. Since January 2017, the highest monthly rate was 8.7% in April 2020.

Monthly, not seasonally adjusted; the gap is October 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (city, Texas) and Current Population Survey (U.S.).

Line chart: monthly unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, January 2017 to August 2026. City of Amarillo peaked at 8.7% in April 2020 and was 3.7% in August 2026.
x	U.S.	Texas	City of Amarillo
2017.0416666666667	5.1%	5.1%	3.5%
2017.125	4.9%	5%	3.6%
2017.2083333333333	4.6%	4.6%	3.3%
2017.2916666666667	4.1%	4.2%	2.9%
2017.375	4.1%	4.2%	3%
2017.4583333333333	4.5%	4.6%	3.3%
2017.5416666666667	4.6%	4.5%	3.3%
2017.625	4.5%	4.5%	3.2%
2017.7083333333333	4.1%	4.1%	2.8%
2017.7916666666667	3.9%	3.7%	2.6%
2017.875	3.9%	3.9%	2.8%
2017.9583333333333	3.9%	3.8%	2.6%
2018.0416666666667	4.5%	4.3%	3%
2018.125	4.4%	4.2%	3%
2018.2083333333333	4.1%	4.1%	3%
2018.2916666666667	3.7%	3.7%	2.6%
2018.375	3.6%	3.6%	2.5%
2018.4583333333333	4.2%	4.3%	3.1%
2018.5416666666667	4.1%	4.1%	3.1%
2018.625	3.9%	4%	2.9%
2018.7083333333333	3.6%	3.8%	2.8%
2018.7916666666667	3.5%	3.5%	2.6%
2018.875	3.5%	3.5%	2.6%
2018.9583333333333	3.7%	3.6%	2.6%
2019.0416666666667	4.4%	4.2%	3.1%
2019.125	4.1%	3.8%	2.8%
2019.2083333333333	3.9%	3.5%	2.7%
2019.2916666666667	3.3%	3.1%	2.1%
2019.375	3.4%	3.1%	2.2%
2019.4583333333333	3.8%	3.8%	2.8%
2019.5416666666667	4%	3.9%	3%
2019.625	3.8%	3.7%	2.7%
2019.7083333333333	3.3%	3.4%	2.5%
2019.7916666666667	3.3%	3.3%	2.4%
2019.875	3.3%	3.3%	2.4%
2019.9583333333333	3.4%	3.2%	2.3%
2020.0416666666667	4%	3.7%	2.6%
2020.125	3.8%	3.5%	2.5%
2020.2083333333333	4.5%	5.4%	3.8%
2020.2916666666667	14.4%	12.3%	8.7%
2020.375	13%	11.8%	8.1%
2020.4583333333333	11.2%	10.4%	7.2%
2020.5416666666667	10.5%	9.7%	6.2%
2020.625	8.5%	7.9%	4.9%
2020.7083333333333	7.7%	7.7%	4.8%
2020.7916666666667	6.6%	6.7%	4.5%
2020.875	6.4%	6.8%	4.6%
2020.9583333333333	6.5%	6.7%	4.6%
2021.0416666666667	6.8%	7.1%	5%
2021.125	6.6%	6.9%	4.8%
2021.2083333333333	6.2%	6.4%	4.5%
2021.2916666666667	5.7%	5.9%	4%
2021.375	5.5%	5.7%	3.8%
2021.4583333333333	6.1%	6.4%	4.4%
2021.5416666666667	5.7%	5.8%	4.1%
2021.625	5.3%	5.5%	3.9%
2021.7083333333333	4.6%	5%	3.7%
2021.7916666666667	4.3%	4.7%	3.5%
2021.875	3.9%	4.4%	3.4%
2021.9583333333333	3.7%	4.1%	3%
2022.0416666666667	4.4%	4.7%	3.6%
2022.125	4.1%	4.3%	3.4%
2022.2083333333333	3.8%	3.8%	2.9%
2022.2916666666667	3.3%	3.5%	2.7%
2022.375	3.4%	3.6%	2.9%
2022.4583333333333	3.8%	4.2%	3.3%
2022.5416666666667	3.8%	4.1%	3.2%
2022.625	3.8%	4%	3.1%
2022.7083333333333	3.3%	3.8%	2.9%
2022.7916666666667	3.4%	3.8%	3%
2022.875	3.4%	3.8%	3.1%
2022.9583333333333	3.3%	3.7%	2.8%
2023.0416666666667	3.9%	4.3%	3.3%
2023.125	3.9%	4.4%	3.5%
2023.2083333333333	3.6%	4%	3%
2023.2916666666667	3.1%	3.5%	2.8%
2023.375	3.4%	3.9%	3.1%
2023.4583333333333	3.8%	4.2%	3.4%
2023.5416666666667	3.8%	4.2%	3.4%
2023.625	3.9%	4.3%	3.4%
2023.7083333333333	3.6%	4%	3.1%
2023.7916666666667	3.6%	3.8%	2.9%
2023.875	3.5%	3.7%	2.7%
2023.9583333333333	3.5%	3.7%	2.6%
2024.0416666666667	4.1%	4.1%	3.1%
2024.125	4.2%	4.3%	3.3%
2024.2083333333333	3.9%	3.9%	3%
2024.2916666666667	3.5%	3.6%	2.6%
2024.375	3.7%	3.8%	2.9%
2024.4583333333333	4.3%	4.5%	3.4%
2024.5416666666667	4.5%	4.6%	3.5%
2024.625	4.4%	4.5%	3.4%
2024.7083333333333	3.9%	4.1%	3.1%
2024.7916666666667	3.9%	4.1%	3%
2024.875	4%	4.1%	3.1%
2024.9583333333333	3.8%	3.8%	2.7%
2025.0416666666667	4.4%	4.2%	3.1%
2025.125	4.5%	4.3%	3.2%
2025.2083333333333	4.2%	4%	3.1%
2025.2916666666667	3.9%	3.7%	2.7%
2025.375	4%	4%	3%
2025.4583333333333	4.4%	4.2%	3.1%
2025.5416666666667	4.6%	4.5%	3.3%
2025.625	4.5%	4.6%	3.4%
2025.7083333333333	4.3%	4.4%	3.2%
2025.7916666666667
2025.875	4.3%	4.3%	3.1%
2025.9583333333333	4.1%	3.9%	2.7%
2026.0416666666667	4.7%	4.5%	3.3%
2026.125	4.7%	4.4%	3.8%
2026.2083333333333	4.3%	4.1%	3.5%
2026.2916666666667	4%	4%	3.3%
2026.375	4.1%	4.3%	3.5%
2026.4583333333333	4.4%	4.9%	4.1%
2026.5416666666667	4.4%	4.8%	3.9%
2026.625	4.3%	4.6%	3.7%
2026.7083333333333	4%

Annual averages

Year	City	Metro	Texas	U.S.	City labor force	Employed	Unemployed
2025*	3.1%	3.1%	4.2%	4.3%	105,948	102,679	3,269
2024	3.1%	3.1%	4.1%	4.0%	103,915	100,711	3,204
2023	3.1%	3.1%	4.0%	3.6%	101,951	98,800	3,151
2022	3.1%	3.1%	3.9%	3.6%	100,445	97,345	3,100
2021	4.0%	4.0%	5.6%	5.3%	99,845	95,838	4,007
2020	5.2%	5.0%	7.7%	8.1%	96,930	91,919	5,011
2019	2.6%	2.6%	3.5%	3.7%	97,282	94,758	2,524
2018	2.8%	2.9%	3.9%	3.9%	96,975	94,246	2,729
2017	3.1%	3.1%	4.4%	4.4%	97,023	94,041	2,982

Unemployment rate, average of the year's months. * Average of 11 months, without October, as published. Metro is the Amarillo metro area (Armstrong, Carson, Oldham, Potter and Randall counties).

City of Amarillo, last 13 months

Month	Rate	Labor force	Employed	Unemployed
Aug 2026 (p)	3.7%	105,677	101,814	3,863
Jul 2026	3.9%	105,468	101,353	4,115
Jun 2026	4.1%	105,663	101,376	4,287
May 2026	3.5%	105,810	102,126	3,684
Apr 2026	3.3%	105,500	102,041	3,459
Mar 2026	3.5%	105,302	101,657	3,645
Feb 2026	3.8%	106,393	102,373	4,020
Jan 2026	3.3%	105,964	102,474	3,490
Dec 2025	2.7%	106,250	103,353	2,897
Nov 2025	3.1%	106,783	103,451	3,332
Sep 2025	3.2%	106,800	103,355	3,445
Aug 2025	3.4%	106,450	102,812	3,638
Jul 2025	3.3%	105,984	102,498	3,486

(p) preliminary.

City sales tax

Sales tax payments the Texas Comptroller sent the City of Amarillo, by the month the payment was sent, added up by calendar year (our calculation). The Comptroller says the payments "represent funds identified for local jurisdictions since the previous month’s distribution." Current dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Payments totaled $108.6 million in 2025, compared with $70.7 million in 2013 (+53.6%, our calculation). From January–October 2026 they totaled $101.2 million, 13.57% more than the $89.1 million sent in the same months of 2025, as reported by the Comptroller. The October 2026 payment was $10.27 million.

Full calendar years. Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, sales tax allocations (data.texas.gov).

Line chart: sales tax payments to the City of Amarillo by calendar year, from $70.7 million in 2013 to $108.6 million in 2025.
x	Sales tax payments to the City
2013	$71M
2014	$72M
2015	$74M
2016	$74M
2017	$74M
2018	$77M
2019	$79M
2020	$81M
2021	$92M
2022	$100M
2023	$100M
2024	$104M
2025	$109M

Year	Payments	Change
2026, Jan–Oct	$101.2 million	+13.6%*
2025	$108.6 million	+4.4%
2024	$104.1 million	+3.6%
2023	$100.4 million	+0.5%
2022	$100.0 million	+8.8%
2021	$91.9 million	+13.4%
2020	$81.1 million	+2.7%
2019	$78.9 million	+2.2%
2018	$77.3 million	+4.2%
2017	$74.2 million	−0.3%
2016	$74.4 million	0.0%
2015	$74.4 million	+2.9%
2014	$72.3 million	+2.2%
2013	$70.7 million	—

Change from the year before, our calculation. * Compared with the same months of 2025, as reported by the Comptroller.

QCEW annual figures for 2025 are as published on 2026-10-15. Unemployment estimates are revised each year; figures here are as published on 2026-10-15. Sales tax payments are as listed on 2026-10-15.

Sources

1.Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, annual averages, Amarillo MSA (C1110), Potter County (48375) and Randall County (48381) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · coverage Annual averages 2015 .. 2025; private NAICS sectors by county for 2025 (metro-area sector detail mostly withheld) · retrieved Oct 15, 2026datasetTotals, totals by ownership and NAICS sectors by ownership, with BLS location quotients, extracted by scripts/fetch-economy.mjs from the BLS QCEW open data files.
2.Local Area Unemployment Statistics, City of Amarillo and Amarillo MSA, with Texas and U.S. unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · coverage Monthly, January 2017 .. August 2026 (latest month preliminary; no October 2025 estimates) · retrieved Oct 15, 2026datasetSeries LAUCT480300000000003-06, LAUMT481110000000003 and -06, LAUST480000000000003 and LNU04000000, from the BLS public API v2 by scripts/fetch-economy.mjs.
3.Sales Tax Allocation, City (Amarillo rows) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (data.texas.gov) · coverage Monthly payments, January 2013 .. October 2026 · retrieved Oct 15, 2026datasetMonthly sales tax allocation payments to the City of Amarillo, downloaded by scripts/fetch-economy.mjs.