AUSTIN, Texas – The latest economic analysis from the American Chemistry Council shows Texas leading the way on plastics manufacturing.
In 2024, plastics manufacturers in Texas generated $61.5 billion in goods, making the state the number one plastics producer in the country, ACC states.
The group points out that the plastics industry supports 54,090 good-paying jobs across 840 facilities statewide, with workers earning an average of $85,680 per year—a figure that ranks among the highest in the U.S. The sector’s total payroll was $4.6 billion.
“Plastics are essential to modern life, powering our economy and enabling innovation in everything from healthcare and clean energy to transportation and safe food and water,” said Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers. “Plastics manufacturing means good jobs, strong wages, and sustained investment in America’s future.”
Eisenberg said Texas not only leads in total plastics manufacturing jobs, production value, and total payroll, but also ranks second nationally in average wages and second for total number of facilities. He said this leadership reflects the state’s critical role in supporting U.S. manufacturing and innovation, while fueling downstream industries from energy and construction to healthcare and consumer products.
Across the United States, the plastics manufacturing industry employed 670,000 people in 2024. Eisenberg said Texas’ outsized contribution underscores its position as both a manufacturing hub and an innovation leader, driving growth for industries that rely on plastics every day.
The ACC points out that the plastics industry’s reach extends far beyond plastics facilities. Key U.S. industries that rely heavily on plastics—including automotive, construction, healthcare, and packaging—employed 4.8 million people and paid nearly $400 billion in wages in 2024.
Editor’s Note: Click here to read the full report. Click here to read a fact sheet.
