Central Texas 7-County WDA Regional Economy Overview
Workforce Solutions of Central Texas offers services to job seekers, employers, veterans, school districts, youth & parents in need of childcare.
We proudly serve the seven-county region of Bell, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, Mills and San Saba.
Our career centers are located in Temple, Killeen, Lampasas, Rockdale and Cameron.
As WSCT, we’re helping create a brighter future for Central Texas.
Geographies: Bell, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, San Saba, & Mills counties
Central Texas 7-County WDA Region - Data & Insights
7-County Region Population
553,069
Total Regional Employment
215,725
Avg. Earnings Per Job
$66.5K
Labor Force, Job Postings, & Wages
Labor Force, Employment, & Unemployment by Region
Area | Area Type | Jan 25 Labor Force | Jan 25 Employment | Jan 25 Unemployment | Jan 25 Rate | Dec 24 Labor Force | Dec 24 Employment | Dec 24 Unemployment | Dec 24 Rate | Jan 24 Labor Force | Jan 24 Employment | Jan 24 Unemployment | Jan 24 Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | State | 15,745,182 | 15,097,222 | 647,960 | 4.1% | 15,737,596 | 15,153,794 | 583,802 | 3.7% | 15,353,061 | 14,720,900 | 632,161 | 4.1% |
| Killeen-Temple | MSA | 202,942 | 193,705 | 9,237 | 4.6% | 202,425 | 194,217 | 8,208 | 4.1% | 200,580 | 191,926 | 8,654 | 4.3% |
| Central Texas | WDA | 222,398 | 212,360 | 10,038 | 4.5% | 221,654 | 212,725 | 8,929 | 4% | 219,563 | 210,118 | 9,445 | 4.3% |
| Bell | County | 166,278 | 158,702 | 7,576 | 4.6% | 165,951 | 159,204 | 6,747 | 4.1% | 164,380 | 157,311 | 7,069 | 4.3% |
| Coryell | County | 26,866 | 25,616 | 1,250 | 4.7% | 26,707 | 25,605 | 1,102 | 4.1% | 26,533 | 25,335 | 1,198 | 4.5% |
| Hamilton | County | 3,363 | 3,215 | 148 | 4.4% | 3,275 | 3,152 | 123 | 3.8% | 3,357 | 3,219 | 138 | 4.1% |
| Lampasas | County | 9,798 | 9,387 | 411 | 4.2% | 9,767 | 9,408 | 359 | 3.7% | 9,667 | 9,280 | 387 | 4% |
| Milam | County | 11,866 | 11,357 | 509 | 4.3% | 11,826 | 11,352 | 474 | 4% | 11,515 | 11,011 | 504 | 4.4% |
| Mills | County | 2,073 | 2,005 | 68 | 3.3% | 2,021 | 1,965 | 56 | 2.8% | 2,003 | 1,936 | 67 | 3.3% |
| San Saba | County | 2,154 | 2,078 | 76 | 3.5% | 2,107 | 2,039 | 68 | 3.2% | 2,108 | 2,026 | 82 | 3.9% |
| Belton | City | 11,186 | 10,715 | 471 | 4.2% | 11,151 | 10,749 | 402 | 3.6% | 11,027 | 10,621 | 406 | 3.7% |
| Copperas Cove | City | 15,982 | 15,338 | 644 | 4% | 15,946 | 15,332 | 614 | 3.9% | 15,826 | 15,170 | 656 | 4.1% |
| Harker Heights | City | 15,123 | 14,459 | 664 | 4.4% | 15,079 | 14,505 | 574 | 3.8% | 14,980 | 14,333 | 647 | 4.3% |
| Killeen | City | 64,252 | 61,040 | 3,212 | 5% | 64,187 | 61,233 | 2,954 | 4.6% | 63,567 | 60,505 | 3,062 | 4.8% |
| Temple | City | 41,198 | 39,414 | 1,784 | 4.3% | 41,073 | 39,539 | 1,534 | 3.7% | 40,698 | 39,069 | 1,629 | 4% |
Top Current Unemployment Industries:
- Telemarketing bureaus and other contact centers
- Limited-service restaurants
- Food service contractors
- Temporary help services
- Custom computer programming services
Unemployment by Gender:
- Male: 590
- Female: 500
- Sex Unknown: 4
Unemployment by 30-Day Rolling Period
7-County Central TX Region (hover to display values)
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
7-County Region (hover to display values)
Job Postings by Industry
7-County Region
Industry Sector (2-Digit) | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,095 | -0.7% |
| Retail Trade | 1,205 | -10.7% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 697 | -0.7% |
| Educational Services | 586 | 19.5% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 572 | -8.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 360 | -17.8% |
| Manufacturing | 359 | -8.1% |
| Public Administration | 327 | -3.4% |
| Construction | 310 | 4.5% |
| Wholesale Trade | 255 | -9% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 229 | 0.4% |
| Finance and Insurance | 195 | -10.8% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 195 | 6.7% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 105 | -4.8% |
| Information | 77 | -28.6% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 21 | 19% |
| Utilities | 20 | -15% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 19 | -94.7% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 18 | -22.2% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 8 | 12.5% |
Top 20 Companies
7-County Region
Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor Scott & White Health | 544 | -3.3% |
| Cefco | 221 | -88.7% |
| Touchstone Communities | 165 | 30.3% |
| Killeen Independent School District | 162 | 22.2% |
| Walmart | 138 | 18.1% |
| Central Texas College | 123 | 17.9% |
| Domino's Pizza | 94 | 17% |
| McLane Company | 84 | 23.8% |
| AdventHealth | 77 | 2.6% |
| State Of Texas | 76 | -15.8% |
| H-E-B | 68 | -39.7% |
| City Of Temple | 60 | 13.3% |
| AccentCare | 54 | -5.6% |
| National Medical Fellowships | 50 | 24% |
| Aramark | 45 | 8.9% |
| AutoZone | 45 | 0% |
| CarMax | 45 | |
| Hobby Lobby Stores | 42 | |
| Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care | 42 | -7.1% |
| Ardent Health Services | 40 | 17.5% |
SOC code derived
Occupation Workforce Data (7-County Region)
Occupation Concentration
7-County Region
Profession | 2024 Jobs | 2023 Median Salary | 2023 Average Hourly Wage | 2024 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | 29,811 | $62,287 | $41.07 | 1.14 | 33.49% |
| Sales and Related | 27,434 | $33,988 | $31.53 | 0.83 | 11.87% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 24,052 | $37,123 | $19.63 | 0.81 | 1.81% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 23,877 | $38,358 | $25.88 | 1.03 | 19.31% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 18,664 | $70,035 | $47.93 | 0.82 | 45.87% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 18,527 | $79,966 | $51.73 | 1.32 | 15.71% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 18,485 | $25,537 | $13.53 | 1.01 | 1.9% |
| Military-only | 17,403 | $38,823 | $24.2 | 14.38 | -0.69% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 16,277 | $57,543 | $26.39 | 1.19 | 3.67% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 13,194 | $47,324 | $25.19 | 1.31 | 10.43% |
| Construction and Extraction | 13,039 | $42,301 | $26 | 1.06 | 4.22% |
| Personal Care and Service | 9,171 | $27,444 | $19.72 | 0.95 | 12.41% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 9,020 | $29,498 | $16.88 | 0.93 | 6.27% |
| Production | 8,625 | $38,559 | $20.62 | 0.68 | 5.57% |
| Healthcare Support | 8,589 | $30,731 | $16.94 | 0.75 | 3.4% |
| Protective Service | 6,303 | $51,233 | $26.39 | 1.26 | -6.44% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 5,610 | $38,942 | $30.22 | 0.64 | 21.1% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 4,835 | $80,694 | $43.12 | 0.62 | 17.02% |
| Community and Social Service | 4,044 | $49,678 | $27.53 | 0.92 | 8.58% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 2,584 | $78,535 | $43.27 | 0.67 | 5.92% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 2,148 | $27,631 | $17.98 | 1.17 | 0.75% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2,013 | $71,277 | $41.01 | 0.76 | 14.55% |
| Legal | 1,133 | $75,843 | $54.09 | 0.5 | 4.27% |
NAICS code derived
Industry Workforce Data (7-County Region)
Industry Characteristics
7-County Region
Industry | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2024 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs | 2024 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | 76,458 | $74,050 | 2.37 | -1.19% | 10314.57M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 28,270 | $92,886 | 0.87 | 10.11% | 2977.79M |
| Retail Trade | 27,173 | $39,343 | 1.08 | 13.64% | 2004.9M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 19,663 | $24,037 | 0.99 | 9.79% | 721.74M |
| Construction | 17,366 | $65,120 | 1.1 | 23.6% | 1457.52M |
| Finance and Insurance | 15,324 | $54,429 | 0.86 | 42.4% | 1264.86M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 15,090 | $32,592 | 0.95 | 10.48% | 548.88M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 12,893 | $45,204 | 0.81 | 35.37% | 839.83M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 12,648 | $49,953 | 0.76 | 56.49% | 963.92M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10,807 | $71,271 | 0.51 | 24.94% | 1002.74M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 10,550 | $36,480 | 0.64 | 17.57% | 483.08M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10,466 | $27,957 | 2.23 | 1.57% | 526.46M |
| Manufacturing | 9,947 | $71,228 | 0.57 | 7.15% | 1189.58M |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,071 | $86,173 | 0.68 | 10.83% | 1215.27M |
| Educational Services | 4,075 | $41,209 | 0.6 | -3.88% | 197.13M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3,036 | $17,359 | 0.5 | 7.19% | 72.23M |
| Information | 1,990 | $71,324 | 0.39 | 9.38% | 415.61M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,521 | $106,034 | 0.38 | 33.81% | 185.69M |
| Utilities | 882 | $107,963 | 1.07 | 31.12% | 378.21M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 793 | $56,174 | 0.57 | 9.79% | 126.16M |
NAICS code derived
Occupational Wage Data (7-County Region)
Annual Wage Ranges by Occupation (25th-75th Percentile)
7-County Region
Legal
$45,555
$133,233
Computer and Mathematical
$55,325
$114,707
Management
$29,809
$109,954
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
$56,458
$106,260
Architecture and Engineering
$57,872
$105,195
Business and Financial Operations
$47,333
$104,618
Life, Physical, and Social Science
$50,776
$98,663
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
$22,197
$69,989
Community and Social Service
$40,361
$66,525
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
$35,132
$66,299
Protective Service
$42,577
$66,102
Educational Instruction and Library
$33,410
$63,771
Sales and Related
$24,076
$62,304
Military-only
$23,733
$61,928
Construction and Extraction
$32,781
$57,944
Transportation and Material Moving
$29,858
$53,310
Production
$30,354
$47,405
Office and Administrative Support
$29,276
$47,095
Personal Care and Service
$20,425
$43,223
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
$16,617
$40,688
Healthcare Support
$21,738
$38,195
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
$22,930
$37,097
Food Preparation and Serving Related
$21,734
$30,682
Skills Demand & Education
Population by Educational Attainment
7-County Region
Job Postings by Educational Attainment
7-County Region
Degrees by Program
7-County Region (total completions)
Description | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 5,225 | 3.5K 5.2K |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1,440 | 0.1K 1.4K |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 949 | 0.3K 0.9K |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 947 | 0.4K 0.9K |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services | 349 | 0.1K 0.3K |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 212 | 0.2K 0.2K |
| Education | 195 | 0.1K 0.2K |
| Psychology | 152 | 0.1K 0.2K |
| Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services | 124 | 0.1K 0.1K |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 119 | 0K 0.1K |
Postings vs. Hires by Occupation
7-County Region
Total Postings
Total Hires
7-County Region
In-Demand Skills
Top 20 Skills
7-County Region
Skill | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 824 | -0.7% |
| Merchandising | 560 | 0.4% |
| Restaurant Operation | 482 | -28.6% |
| Marketing | 398 | -15.1% |
| Food Safety And Sanitation | 370 | -24.6% |
| Treatment Planning | 356 | 1.4% |
| Cash Handling | 353 | -11.3% |
| Pediatrics | 352 | 1.4% |
| Cash Register | 330 | -1.2% |
| Inventory Management | 323 | 3.7% |
| Rehabilitation | 302 | 10.6% |
| Infection Control | 297 | 1% |
| Housekeeping | 284 | -3.9% |
| Selling Techniques | 282 | -6% |
| Home Health Care | 277 | -5.1% |
| Patient Education And Counseling | 277 | 15.9% |
| Warehousing | 265 | -15.8% |
| Medical Records | 259 | -6.9% |
| Auditing | 257 | -6.6% |
| Billing | 247 | -12.6% |
Net commuters is the number of people commuting into or out of the area. For negative values, there are more people commuting out for work than in. For positive values, there are more commuters coming in than out.
Commuting Patterns by County
Workforce Jobs, Resident Workers, and Net Commuters
Hover to display values
2024 Jobs
2024 Resident Workers
2024 Net Commuters
Lightcast, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow, LAUS, Texas Workforce Commission
Data: