Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Sherman-Denison, TX MSA — September 2026
Sherman-Denison holds steady while Texas accelerates around it.
Sherman-Denison added only 100 jobs in September and held at 4.4% unemployment, a full point above Texas's 3.9% rate, even as the state's overall job growth outpaces the nation by 0.7 points.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 4.4% — vs 3.9% Texas, 4.2% national
- Metro monthly job growth: +100 jobs — 0.0% month-over-month, Aug–Sep 2026
- Metro annual job growth: 0.9% — vs 1.1% Texas annual growth
- Texas manufacturing wage growth: 4.8% — Strongest pace since Dec 2023, Dallas Fed
Key takeaways
Sherman-Denison growth has stalled, not reversed.
Zero monthly job growth and a 4.4% unemployment rate point to a metro economy in a holding pattern rather than contraction — annual job growth of 0.9% is positive but trails the statewide 1.1% pace. That gap is worth tracking for economic development messaging that compares the metro favorably or unfavorably to state trends.
Manufacturing wage strength diverges from local pay data on the floor.
Texas manufacturing wages rose 4.8% over the year statewide, the strongest pace since 2023, yet metro manufacturing production worker pay reads flat. That divergence suggests wage gains at anchor employers like Texas Instruments and Tyson may be concentrated in specialized or supervisory roles rather than broadly lifting production-floor compensation.
Public-sector stability remains the metro's quiet asset.
Sherman ISD's position as the metro's second-largest employer provides payroll stability at a moment when national government employment has shed 216,000 jobs over the past year. Local economic resilience currently owes as much to steady public employment as to private-sector expansion.
Construction and skilled trades pay is rising while broader local pay softens.
HVAC technician and electrician advertised pay both moved up significantly locally, consistent with statewide construction employment growth of 5.1% — more than double the national pace. That divergence against declining pay in retail, food service, and administrative roles points to a two-speed local labor market worth monitoring for consumer spending implications.
Median advertised pay by role — Sherman-Denison, TX MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $22,863 | $27,229 | $32,240 | Stable | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $22,880 | $25,067 | $27,040 | Moderate decline | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $32,918 | $35,360 | $36,400 | Moderate increase | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $57,200 | $81,272 | $95,256 | Moderate decline | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $28,424 | $30,405 | $38,149 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $24,960 | $28,567 | $35,360 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $56,389 | $67,600 | $72,800 | Moderate increase | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $31,738 | $33,726 | $38,610 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $31,944 | $42,500 | $44,375 | Moderate decline | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $24,352 | $28,729 | $32,638 | Significant decline | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $32,005 | $36,400 | $37,961 | Stable | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $33,199 | $37,440 | $40,331 | Moderate decline | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician | $55,176 | $65,000 | $66,924 | Significant increase | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $78,019 | $90,184 | $95,950 | Moderate increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer * | $113,156 | $152,465 | $167,279 | Moderate increase | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer * | $100,220 | $136,140 | $154,980 | Moderate increase | $139,500 |
| Accountant * | $60,000 | $72,500 | $81,143 | Moderate increase | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst * | $72,922 | $93,298 | $101,911 | Moderate increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager * | $54,144 | $72,500 | $83,526 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $46,677 | $60,734 | $71,585 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $70,000 | $83,712 | $98,391 | Moderate decline | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $30,188 | $53,035 | $59,977 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $33,020 | $34,676 | $36,651 | Significant decline | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $48,368 | $70,237 | $81,507 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $79,805 | $97,107 | $109,495 | Stable | $98,279 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $58,459 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $46,987 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $34,273 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $54,839 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $41,894 | Significant decline | Significant decline |
| Financial Activities | $37,440 | Significant decline | Moderate increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $45,635 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $60,637 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $26,744 | Significant decline | Significant increase |
| Government | $67,273 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market conditions
Sherman-Denison added just 100 jobs between August and September, holding the metro unemployment rate at 4.4% — a full point above the 3.9% statewide figure and ranking the MSA 12th among Texas metros. Manufacturing anchors tied to Texas Instruments and Tyson Foods, alongside steady public-sector employment at Sherman ISD, continue to provide the metro's base load even as national hiring cools to 29,000 jobs added and Texas growth concentrates in larger metros with stronger tech and logistics pipelines.
What it means
Flat month-over-month job growth alongside a stable 4.4% unemployment rate signals a local economy holding steady rather than expanding — a signal relevant to site-selection conversations, workforce development funding priorities, and chamber messaging about the metro's competitive position within North Texas. Commerce leaders weighing whether this is a moment to court new investment should note that labor supply looks adequate relative to current demand, a contrast with the tighter statewide labor market where manufacturers report applicant shortages. Current conditions suggest this may be a reasonable window to pursue employer-attraction efforts that would otherwise compete against a tighter labor pool elsewhere in the state.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Grayson County's unemployment rate sits slightly above the metro figure at 4.6%, suggesting softness may be concentrated outside Sherman and Denison proper. Watch whether county-level data diverges further from the metro headline over the next two releases.
Potential inflection point: Texas construction and manufacturing momentum, including an upward Dallas Fed 2026 growth revision to 2.0%, has yet to clearly show up in Sherman-Denison's flat monthly job count. A pickup here would be an early signal the metro is catching the statewide expansion rather than trailing it.
Emerging pressure point: National WARN filings remain elevated with Amazon, Meta, Oracle and Tyson Foods among firms appearing in federal disclosures; none of the Sherman-area WARN activity has been tied to major local employers to date. Continued national layoff activity in logistics and food processing is worth monitoring given Tyson's local footprint.
Early indicator: Real wage growth has turned negative nationally, with inflation at 3.4% outpacing a 3.0% national wage gain — the weakest pace since 2021. Whether Texas's stronger 3.9% wage growth is enough to preserve local purchasing power will matter for consumer-facing sectors across the metro's retail and service base.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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