Trillion-Dollar Port: Houston's Petroleum Trade Supports Millions of Jobs

Plenty of ports contribute billions of dollars in economic value to their respective regions, but only a few reach above that mark. Port Houston's latest economic impact assessment suggests that it supports nearly $1 trillion in economic activity - roughly three percent of U.S. gross domestic product.

The study is an update performed by Martin Associates on behalf of Port Houston, and builds on previous work in 2022. By 2025, economic activity supported by Port Houston rose by about $100 billion, reflecting substantial growth in business along the Houston Ship Channel.

The study also found that the port's economic activity supports 3.5 million jobs nationwide, one out of every 50 jobs in the country,d including 1.9 million jobs in Texas alone (up 22 percent since 2022). The vast majority of these positions depend to varying extents on trade through the port, but are not directly linked to its daily operations. A much smaller number, about 92,000 positions, are directly employed with the port, its terminal operator partners or various contractors. Those local waterfront posts are well-paid, according to the study's authors, and bring home $8.5 billion a year in wages (about $92,000 per person on average).

The national economic impact is driven in large part by the port's massive petroleum and chemical trade. Port Houston's terminals handle nearly 300 million tons of cargo every year, the overwhelming majority in the form of liquid bulk.

"The Houston Ship Channel is one of the country's most important economic corridors, and these findings demonstrate its impact far beyond our region," said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. "Manufacturers, energy producers, businesses, and consumers across the country depend on this critical gateway to move products."