City of Houston vs Harris County: pay for similar jobs (prepared 2026-09-21; revised 2026-09-23)¶
Revision 2 (2026-09-23). After the independent review, the City side of every comparison was moved from the HR job-classification list ranges to the City's civilian pay structure effective July 4, 2026 (data/coh_civilian_pay_structure.csv; script scripts/city_comparison_date_align.py). The classification-list values used originally are kept in the *_classlist columns of the two CSVs. The pairings are unchanged. Revised statistics: 34 hand-matched roles, county minimum higher in 34 of 34 (median +26.3%, previously +31%), county maximum higher in 18 (previously 20; median +1.4%, previously about +5%); 69 exact-title pairs, county minimum higher in 61 (previously 64; median +22.6%, previously +26.9%), county maximum higher in 36 (median +1.6%, previously +5.1%); the City's grade median actual pay is below the county minimum in 22 of 34 roles. The dollar ranges quoted in the tables below are the original classification-list ranges unless marked; the City pay structure is 3-4% higher at the minimum for most grades. The cadet figure in section 3 is now HPD's published $52,000 base (the $61,776 shown originally was the 2026 payroll median for pay code PA02-01). These remain comparisons of published ranges, not of actual pay for equivalent work.
Sources¶
- City of Houston: HR Compensation Division job-classification list (908 classifications with pay grade and biweekly min/max;
sources/city_of_houston/classifications/), civilian pay structure (grades 3-40;data/coh_civilian_pay_structure.csv), Open Data payroll files for 2025 and 2026 (employee-level base pay by pay grade and department, no job titles;sources/city_of_houston/coh_payroll_2025.csv,coh_payroll_2026.csv), HPD careers page and HPOU contract overview (May 2025), FY2027 Budget Overview and Five-Year Forecast (pay raises), 2026 Open Enrollment guide and medical rates, HMEPS/HPOPS valuation reports, Texas Pension Review Board plan page, HOPE union contract coverage (Nov. 2024). - Harris County: NEW Salary Plan (FY27 Vol. I v3 pp. 490-522), FY26 Law Enforcement Certified Peace Officers Step Plan (p. 478), NEW LE step plan (pp. 523-531), Elected Officials Salary Data (pp. 474-477), Appendix E benefit rates, 2026 Employee Benefits Guide, ACFR FY2025 Note 9 (TCDRS), Texas Scorecard 5/29/2025 (executive pay).
- Caveat: the City payroll file gives actual pay by pay grade but not by title, so "actual" City figures are medians for everyone in the classification's grade; county actual pay by title is not published, so county figures are pay-plan ranges (hourly x 2,080) and step rates. Pairings of differently named titles are by job content (
data/coh_vs_county_hand_matched.csv).
1. Headline¶
Harris County's pay ranges sit above the City's for almost every comparable civilian job, and its sworn pay is now at or slightly above HPD's despite the City's 36.5% police raise. Of 69 classifications with identical titles in both plans, the county's minimum is higher in 64 (median +27% at the minimum, +5% at the maximum). Across 34 hand-matched roles the county minimum is higher in every case (median +31%) and the county maximum is higher in 20 of 34 (median +5%). In 21 of the 33 matched roles with City payroll data, the City's actual median pay for the grade is below the county's minimum for the equivalent job. The one area where the City pays more is department directors and some senior managers, where City ranges are wider at the top than the county's mid-level executive grades (but the county's top executives are paid far more than any City director).
2. Pay structures¶
| City of Houston (civilian) | Harris County (civilian) | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | 3 to 40 (37 grades; classifications on 3-39) | 20 grades (new plan, Feb. 2026) |
| Lowest range | Grade 3: $27,352-$37,726; grade 5: $37,440-$47,766 | Grade 1: $41,600-$58,240 |
| Highest range | Grade 39: $182,127-$364,254 (department directors); grade 40: $191,222-$389,759 | Grade 20: $344,053-$516,069 (County Administrator); grade 19: $307,195-$460,782 |
| Pay floor | $18.00/hour from July 2026 (HOPE contract; $16.75 Nov. 2024, $17.25 July 2025) | $20.00/hour since May 2025 |
| Across-the-board raises | Municipal 3.5% in FY26 and FY27; police +10% (July 2025), +8% (July 2026), +6%, +6%, +6.5% through 2029; fire 3% FY27 (plus 2024 settlement) | No general raise; pay-equity study raised employees below new minimums (Feb. 2026); law-enforcement parity +36% FY26 and a second step FY27; elected officials to $305,000 |
| Median full-time base pay | All full-time: $77,793 (2025; 23,582 employees); civilian only: $58,695 (2025), $61,339 (2026) | Not published by title; payroll about $1.6B for about 20,800 employees (about $77,000 average); 46% of General Fund is law enforcement |
3. Sworn officers (base pay; incentives excluded)¶
| Stage | City of Houston police (July 2026 scale, 2026 payroll) | Harris County deputies (FY26 step plan; FY27 unpublished) |
|---|---|---|
| Cadet / probationary | $52,000 (HPD published scale; 2026 payroll median for PA02-01 $61,776) | Cadet $52,291 (new LE step plan, step 1) |
| Officer / deputy, year 1 | $81,000 (PA03-01) | $78,458 (step 1, 0-11 months) |
| Officer / deputy, 10-11 years | $98,028 (PA03-13) | $96,637 (step 7) |
| Senior officer / deputy 17+ years | $109,290 (PA04-17, 12+ years) | $112,362 (step 9) |
| Sergeant, top step | $125,989 (PA06-17) | $127,816 |
| Lieutenant, top step | $141,203 (PA07-17) | $141,648 |
| Captain, top step | $166,682 (PA09-17) | $165,235 |
| City add-ons: patrol pay $1,600-$2,400 a year, shift and weekend differentials (up to $2,600 a year each), equipment allowance $2,002, education pay $140-$340 a pay period. County add-ons: clothing/equipment allowances of $13.85-$34.62 a pay period, education incentive up to $230.77 a pay period, bilingual pay, contract-patrol assignments at regular pay. The county's FY26 rates were set to match HPD's July 2025 scale; HPD then rose 8% in July 2026, and the county budgeted year-two parity money ($44.6M) for FY27 without publishing the new step table, so FY27 county rates should land at or above the City figures shown. Head of agency: Police Chief $336,375 (2026 payroll) vs Sheriff $330,000; constables $305,000 each (eight); Fire Chief $315,675 vs County Fire Marshal $305,000. |
4. Civilian roles (annual; City median actual is for everyone in that pay grade, 2026)¶
| Role | City title (grade): range; median actual | County title: range | County vs City minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custodian | Custodian (5): $35,880-$46,150 | Custodian: $41,600-$58,240 | +16% |
| Administrative assistant | Administrative Assistant (17): $48,048-$88,010; $60,112 | Administrative Assistant III: $52,291-$72,966 | +9% |
| 911 call-taker | 9-1-1 Telecommunicator (14): $41,106-$76,310; $53,060 | Communications Officer I: $52,291-$72,966 | +27% |
| Paralegal | Paralegal (12): $38,168-$69,368; $46,862 | Paralegal I: $65,603-$91,520 | +72% |
| Accountant, entry | Accountant (17): $48,048-$88,010; $60,112 | Accountant I: $65,603-$91,520 | +37% |
| Budget analyst, entry | Budget Analyst I (15): $43,134-$79,872; $51,854 | Budget Analyst I: $65,603-$91,520 | +52% |
| Registered nurse | Public Health Nurse I (19): $52,650-$99,086; $67,725 | Registered Nurse I: $70,387-$105,581 | +34% |
| Licensed vocational nurse | LVN (14): $41,106-$76,310; $53,060 | LVN: $65,603-$91,520 | +60% |
| IT systems analyst, entry | Programmer Analyst I (16): $45,500-$83,434; $55,078 | Applications Systems Analyst I: $70,387-$105,581 | +55% |
| Electrician | Electrician (18): $50,440-$93,262; $70,096 | Electrician II: $58,573-$81,702 | +16% (max -12%) |
| Plumber | Plumber (16): $45,500-$83,434; $55,078 | Plumber II: $58,573-$81,702 | +29% |
| Social worker | Medical Social Worker (16): $45,500-$83,434; $55,078 | Social Worker I: $58,573-$81,702 | +29% |
| Engineer, entry | Graduate Engineer (22): $61,568-$117,390; $76,538 | Graduate Engineer I: $70,387-$105,581 | +14% (max -10%) |
| Engineer, licensed | Engineer (26): $75,816-$147,290; $98,722 | Engineer III: $87,901-$132,454 | +16% (max -10%) |
| Attorney, entry | Assistant City Attorney I (24): $68,276-$131,456; $82,846 | Assistant District Attorney I / Assistant Attorney: $88,317-$132,454 | +29% |
| Attorney, senior | Senior Assistant City Attorney I (30): $94,458-$187,694; $135,302 | Assistant District Attorney IV: $124,072-$186,098 | +31% |
| Attorney, most senior | Senior Assistant City Attorney III (35): $136,786-$273,546; $174,136 | Assistant District Attorney VI: $195,229-$292,822 | +43% |
| Court reporter | Court Reporter (19): $52,650-$99,086; $67,725 | Court Reporter: $87,901-$132,454 | +67% |
| Trial judge (county-paid) | Judge of Municipal Courts (31): $104,364-$205,504; $146,668 | County Court at Law judge (elected): $198,994-$244,483 | +91% |
| Division / operations manager | Division Manager (29): $87,802-$175,786; $120,923 | Department Director of Operations I: $124,072-$186,098 | +41% |
| Deputy director | Deputy Director, executive level (34): $127,816-$255,658; $188,536 | Assistant Director: $155,626-$233,459 | +22% (max -9%) |
| Department director | Director (38-39): $166,010-$351,936; actual $222,525-$351,900 | Executive Director (grades 15-19): $195,229-$460,782; actual $411,000-$536,141 | +18% (top ranges and actuals far higher) |
| Where the City is higher: Customer Service Manager, GIS Supervisor, Treasury Manager and Training Coordinator ranges exceed the county's equivalents by 7-14%; the City's Finance Director range ($175,968-$351,936) exceeds the county's Finance Department Director III ($174,304-$261,456), although the county's Budget Director is paid $411,278. |
5. Elected and appointed leadership (actual)¶
| Post | City of Houston | Harris County |
|---|---|---|
| Chief executive | Mayor $236,189 (declined the $300,000 available) | County Judge $208,416 |
| Governing body members | 16 council members $79,781 (one at $62,983) | 4 commissioners $199,347 |
| Chief financial officer | Controller $236,206 (elected); Finance Director $305,325 | County Auditor range $218,650-$328,349 (appointed by district judges); Budget Director $411,278; Treasurer $139,547 |
| Chief legal officer | City Attorney $351,900 (appointed) | County Attorney $305,000 (elected); District Attorney $305,000 |
| Chief law-enforcement officer | Police Chief $336,375 | Sheriff $330,000; 8 constables $305,000 each |
| Fire | Fire Chief $315,675 | Fire Marshal $305,000 |
| Public health | Director $289,800 | Executive Director (interim) $456,976 |
| Technology | IT Director $309,601 | Universal Services Executive Director $456,976 |
| Public works / engineering | Public Works Director $336,375; Airport Director $346,725 | County Engineer $479,835; Toll Road Executive Director $485,014; Flood Control $434,138 |
| Chief administrator | Mayor's chief of staff $351,379 | County Administrator $411,000 |
| Medical examiner | (county function) | Chief Medical Examiner $536,141 |
| Nine county department heads earn more than the U.S. President's $400,000 (Texas Scorecard, May 2025); the City's highest-paid employee earns $351,900. |
6. Benefits¶
| City of Houston | Harris County | |
|---|---|---|
| Employee-only medical premium (bi-weekly, 2026) | Limited Network $0, Consumer-Driven $23.61, Open Access $63.63 (rates include $42.50 of wellness and non-tobacco discounts; without them $42.50 / $66.11 / $106.13) | Base PPO and KelseyCare $0; Plus PPO $36.35 (no wellness conditions) |
| Family premium (bi-weekly) | $141.80 / $213.59 / $381.75 | $193.84 (Base, KelseyCare) / $290.77 (Plus) |
| Deductible (individual) | CDHP $1,750; Limited $200; Open Access $850 | Base $600; Plus and KelseyCare none |
| Out-of-pocket maximum (individual) | $8,150 all plans | $7,350 Base; $6,350 Plus and KelseyCare |
| Employer health cost per employee | $22,005 budgeted FY2027 (General Fund overview) | $25,342 FY27 (+25%); no premium change |
| Pension, civilians | HMEPS: Group D (hired since 2008) contributes 3%; 1.8% multiplier for first 25 years; City 8.44-8.48% of pay plus $142-146M/yr legacy payments; Social Security yes | TCDRS: employee 7%, county 14.50% (15.1% until FY26), account-balance plan with county match at retirement; Social Security yes |
| Pension, sworn | HPOPS: officers 10.5%, City 32% of pay; no Social Security | Deputies in TCDRS with Social Security |
| Retiree health | City retirees pay premiums by plan and service; large unfunded OPEB (~$2B) | County pays 100% for Medicare-eligible retirees on Base/Humana; $2.57B OPEB |
| Overtime | FLSA; police contract overtime provisions | FLSA 40-hour week; lieutenant and above exempt |
7. Why the gap exists¶
Harris County adopted a $20 floor (May 2025), a market-based pay-equity restructuring that lifted minimums for 147 of 203 comparable titles (Feb. 2026), and law-enforcement parity with HPD (FY26) followed by a second step (FY27); the City's HOPE contract delivered 3.5% a year and an $18 floor, and its police contract 36.5% over five years. Both employers' health plans offer a $0 single-coverage option, but the county's is unconditional and its dependent premiums are lower on the standard plan while the City's Open Access family coverage costs $381.75 a pay period. The county's payroll growth (labor budgets +11.5% for FY27) and $100M health increase are the direct consequence; the City's FY2027 General Fund grew 5.4%.