Best Companies to Work For in Houston: Top Employers by Industry
Date Published
Houston is one of the most diversified employment markets in the United States. The best companies to work for in Houston span five industries — healthcare, energy, aerospace, retail, and government — and the metro's top employers hold national rankings most cities can only envy. Two Houston health systems place in the top 20 on Forbes' America's Best Large Employers list, ranking above many well-known technology and financial companies.
This guide covers the largest employers by headcount, the companies on recurring best-employer lists, and the industries actively hiring. Headcount figures come from Harris County's official 2024 Largest Employers report. Forbes rankings are from the most recent available survey. Check each employer's careers page for current openings.
The quick list
- Top Forbes ranking: Houston Methodist (No. 10, Forbes America's Best Large Employers)
- Top Glassdoor ranking: Houston Methodist (No. 9, Glassdoor Best Places to Work)
- Largest single employer by headcount: Memorial Hermann (31,969+ in Harris County)
- Largest private-sector employer: H-E-B (~30,000 local employees, Forbes No. 40)
- Top aerospace employer: NASA Johnson Space Center, Clear Lake
- Top government employer: Harris County
How we chose
Each employer on this list met at least one of two criteria: 10,000 or more employees in the Houston metro per Harris County's 2024 official employer data, or a top-50 ranking on the Forbes or Glassdoor best-employers lists for 2026. Each employer's own careers page was confirmed to show active openings as of October 2026.
Healthcare: Houston's largest employment sector
Healthcare is the single largest employment sector in the Houston metro by headcount. The Texas Medical Center — the largest medical complex on the planet by its own published figures, with more than 120,000 employees on one contiguous campus — anchors the sector. That workforce is larger than the entire global headcount of most Fortune 500 companies. Three of its flagship institutions rank among the best large employers in the United States.
Houston Methodist
[Medical Center](/areas/medical-center) · 32,058 employees · Forbes No. 10 nationally · Glassdoor No. 9 nationally
Houston Methodist is the highest-ranked Houston employer on both the Forbes America's Best Large Employers list (No. 10 in the country) and the Glassdoor Best Places to Work list (No. 9 in the country, No. 1 in healthcare). It operates eight hospitals and more than 300 care delivery sites across Greater Houston, covering every major clinical specialty.
The Glassdoor No. 9 rank is the standout: in 2026 a Houston hospital system placed above most Silicon Valley employers on that list — a fact that surprises nearly everyone who hears it.
Careers: houstonmethodistcareers.org.
MD Anderson Cancer Center
[Medical Center](/areas/medical-center) · 24,498 employees · Forbes No. 16 nationally
MD Anderson, part of the University of Texas System, is consistently ranked the No. 1 cancer center in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. It ranked No. 16 on Forbes America's Best Large Employers — the second-highest Houston employer on that list. Roles span clinical care, cancer research, IT, administrative support, and facilities.
Careers: careers.mdanderson.org.
Memorial Hermann Health System
[Medical Center](/areas/medical-center) and Greater Houston · 31,969+ employees · Forbes No. 86 nationally
Memorial Hermann is the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas and the No. 1 employer in Harris County by headcount per the county's 2024 data. It operates 17 hospitals and more than 270 care delivery sites across the metro. It placed No. 86 on Forbes America's Best Large Employers.
Careers: jobs.memorialhermann.org.
Energy: five global headquarters in one metro
Houston is the energy capital of the world. Five of the largest energy and oilfield services companies on the planet run their U.S. or global headquarters from Greater Houston. The Energy Corridor on the city's west side is the center of this cluster, with additional campuses across the metro and northern suburbs.
Shell
[Energy Corridor](/areas/energy-corridor) · 10,000–19,999 employees in Harris County
Shell's U.S. headquarters at 150 N. Dairy Ashford Road is one of the largest corporate campuses in Houston. Roles cover engineering, geoscience, finance, technology, and operations.
Careers: shell.com/careers.
ExxonMobil
Spring, TX (near [The Woodlands](/areas/the-woodlands)) · 10,000–19,999 employees in Harris County
ExxonMobil relocated its corporate headquarters from Irving, Texas to its Spring campus in 2023, bringing more than 10,000 employees to the north Houston suburbs. The campus is one of the largest corporate headquarters complexes in the United States. Careers: jobs.exxonmobil.com.
Chevron
[Downtown Houston](/areas/downtown) · 10,000–19,999 employees in Harris County
Chevron's Houston office at 1500 Louisiana Street is the company's largest U.S. location outside its San Ramon, California headquarters. Roles span engineering, finance, IT, and geoscience.
Careers: chevron.com/careers.
Halliburton
North Houston · major global oilfield services employer
Halliburton's global headquarters at 3000 N. Sam Houston Pkwy East employs thousands of engineers, geoscientists, and operations professionals. Houston roles span oilfield services, technology, and corporate functions.
Careers: halliburton.com/en/careers.
Retail: H-E-B
H-E-B
30+ Houston-area locations · ~30,000 local employees · Forbes No. 40 Best Large Employers 2026
H-E-B is based in San Antonio, but Houston is one of its two largest markets by store count. The grocer employs roughly 175,000 people statewide and approximately 30,000 across Greater Houston. It ranks No. 40 on Forbes America's Best Large Employers, among the highest-ranked U.S. grocery retailers on that list.
Hiring is constant across store, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy, digital, and corporate roles. Careers: careers.heb.com.
Aerospace and aviation
NASA Johnson Space Center
[Clear Lake](/areas/clear-lake) · one of the largest federal employers in Texas
The Johnson Space Center (JSC), 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston, is Mission Control for all NASA human spaceflight and the home base for every active NASA astronaut. JSC directly employs thousands of civil servants and supports tens of thousands of additional contractor roles across the metro — with positions at Boeing, KBR, and Jacobs regularly posted.
For a look at the campus, see our Johnson Space Center guide and the Texas Medical Center research overview for Houston's broader research economy.
Civil servant roles: usajobs.gov (search Johnson Space Center). Contractor openings are posted by each contractor directly.
United Airlines
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) · major hub operation
United's largest hub by departures is IAH, making Houston one of the airline's top three operating cities. Houston roles span flight operations, aircraft maintenance, customer service, IT, and corporate support.
Careers: careers.united.com.
Government and public sector
Harris County
[Downtown Houston](/areas/downtown) and countywide · 10,000–19,999 employees
Harris County is one of the three largest county governments in the United States and a top-15 employer in the Greater Houston metro by headcount. Roles range from public health, social services, and law enforcement to IT, engineering, parks management, and administration.
Careers: hrsuite.harriscountytx.gov.
Save this: tips before you apply
- Healthcare: Houston Methodist, MD Anderson, and Memorial Hermann are top-100 nationally ranked large employers. Apply on their own careers sites — postings are more current there than on aggregators.
- Energy: All four energy companies post directly. Shell, Chevron, and ExxonMobil run dedicated new-graduate programs; look for those specifically on each company's careers page.
- H-E-B: Store roles fill fast — use the location filter at careers.heb.com. Corporate, supply chain, and pharmacy roles are posted there too.
- NASA: Civil servant roles post exclusively to usajobs.gov. Contractor openings are often the faster route — search by contractor name (Boeing, KBR, Jacobs) plus Houston.
- Relocating for work? Our moving to Houston guide and best suburbs guide can help you pick a neighborhood close to your employer. See our jobs in Houston guide for salary context by industry.
Three things about Houston's job market worth knowing
No state income tax. Texas has no personal income tax. At comparable salary levels, that effectively raises take-home pay by 5–9% compared to states like California or New York.
Lower cost of living than comparable metros. See our Houston cost of living breakdown for a neighborhood-by-neighborhood look at rents, utilities, and home prices.
Healthcare and energy offset each other's cycles. When oil prices fall and energy exploration budgets shrink, the Texas Medical Center — funded by patient care and federal research grants — keeps hiring. That counter-cyclical relationship helps explain why the Houston metro consistently outperforms single-industry cities during downturns.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest employer in Houston?
Memorial Hermann Health System is the largest single employer in Harris County with 31,969+ employees per the county's 2024 data. The Texas Medical Center as a whole — which includes Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, MD Anderson, and dozens of other institutions — employs more than 120,000 people on one campus.
Which Houston companies are on the Forbes Best Employers list?
Three Houston employers ranked in the top 100 on Forbes America's Best Large Employers 2026: Houston Methodist at No. 10, MD Anderson Cancer Center at No. 16, and Memorial Hermann at No. 86. Houston Methodist was the highest-ranked Houston-based employer on the entire list.
What is the best company to work for in Houston?
Houston Methodist ranked No. 9 on Glassdoor's 2026 Best Places to Work list — No. 1 in healthcare — and No. 10 on Forbes' America's Best Large Employers 2026, making it the highest-rated large employer based in Houston by both measures.
Is Houston a good city for healthcare jobs?
Yes. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest medical complex with more than 120,000 employees, and two Houston health systems rank in the top 20 nationally on Forbes' Best Large Employers list. Healthcare is the single largest employment sector in the Houston metro.
What industries hire the most in Houston?
Healthcare is the largest sector by headcount, with the Texas Medical Center alone employing more than 120,000. Energy is the second-largest, with Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Halliburton all headquartered in the metro. Aerospace, aviation, retail, and government round out the top employers.
Does Houston have no state income tax?
Yes. Texas has no state personal income tax. At similar salary levels, Houston workers take home roughly 5–9% more than workers in states like California or New York, which have state income tax rates of 9–13%.