Houston Airport Contract Workers Get $20 Wage Floor, With Raises to $23 by 2028
For many of the people who help keep Houston’s airports moving — from workers supporting airlines to employees serving travelers inside terminals — a new City of Houston wage policy could mean a substantial change in their paychecks.
Mayor John Whitmire signed an updated executive order Aug. 12 establishing a $20-per-hour living wage for covered employees working under qualifying Houston Airports contracts, with additional increases scheduled through 2028.
The order applies to contracts involving air carriers and concessionaires at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport, including qualifying subcontractors and concession agreements. City employees themselves are excluded from the order’s definition of covered employees.
For Houston families whose household income depends on airport employment, the immediate jump is significant. The previous executive order had established a $15 hourly minimum beginning in October 2023, with later adjustments contemplated under the policy. The newly signed order replaces that 2022 version and sets a clearer wage schedule through 2028.
Houston Airport Living Wage Rises to $20 an Hour
Under the Aug. 12 executive order, the living wage schedule for covered Houston airport contract workers is:
- 2026: $20 per hour
- Jan. 1, 2027: $21 per hour
- Oct. 1, 2027: $22 per hour
- Oct. 1, 2028: $23 per hour
The applicable wage begins on the first day of the first full pay period after the listed date, according to Executive Order 1-64.
That timeline is important because the signed executive order specifies Oct. 1, 2028 — not Jan. 1, 2028 — for the increase to $23 per hour.
The new policy represents a $5 increase over the $15 hourly rate established under the prior executive order for October 2023. The earlier order had gradually raised the airport living wage from $12 in 2021 to $13 in April 2022, $14 in October 2022 and $15 in October 2023.
Why Houston Says Higher Airport Wages Matter
The City of Houston is tying the wage increase not only to workers’ household finances, but also to workforce stability at one of the region’s most visible economic gateways.
In the executive order, the city states that retaining a qualified and experienced workforce at Houston aviation facilities and maintaining quality working conditions are important to sustaining both the workforce and the city’s quality of life.
Whitmire similarly connected worker retention with the passenger experience when announcing the change.
“Improving working conditions and the quality of life for airport workers benefits all Houstonians and our millions of visitors. Houston is an international city that relies on our airports to run smoothly and provide a world class traveling experience for visitors,” Whitmire said. “Throughout my career in public service, I have always advocated for workers across all sectors of our economy. This wage increase will help Houston Airports keep its experienced workforce and ultimately deliver even better customer service.”
For travelers, that argument comes down to something fairly practical: Houston’s airports depend on thousands of people performing interconnected jobs behind check-in counters, inside terminals, around aircraft and throughout concessions and support operations. The city’s position is that better employee retention can help preserve experience and consistency across that system.
Workers Point to the Cost of Everyday Life
The city said the increase is the first salary adjustment for covered Houston airport workers since 2023 and pointed to the rising cost of rent, groceries, gasoline and utilities as part of the reason for the change.
Elsa Flores, president of SEIU Texas, credited organized airport workers and city leaders with moving the wage policy forward.
“Today we celebrate a big victory for airport workers who have worked long and hard for a raise,” Flores said. “This wage increase is the product of workers coming together as a union and having the unwavering support of pro-labor leaders like Mayor John Whitmire and Council Member Joaquin Martinez.”
For individual workers, the impact can be less abstract.
Augusta Dillon, an SEIU member who works as a toolroom agent at Bush Intercontinental Airport, described the raise in terms familiar to households across the Houston area.
“I am very happy. I am not going to have to worry so much about paying my bills. We’re paving the way for a better future for Houston and Texas workers,” Dillon said.
Whitmire was joined for the announcement by Houston City Council Member Joaquin Martinez, Flores, members of SEIU and members of UNITE HERE Local 23.
Who Is Covered by Houston’s Airport Wage Order?
The new Houston airport minimum wage does not automatically apply to every person employed anywhere at an airport.
Executive Order 1-64 specifically applies to qualifying City contracts involving air carriers and concessionaires, along with their subcontractors and concessionaires operating in connection with those contracts at city aviation facilities.
The order defines an employee as someone other than a City of Houston employee who works in connection with a covered City contract for the contracting party, its subcontractor or its concessionaire.
That distinction matters for workers trying to determine whether the new $20 Houston airport wage applies to their position. Eligibility depends on the employment and contract relationship established in the executive order, rather than simply whether someone reports to work at IAH, Hobby or Ellington.
The order also addresses tipped employees. Employers may apply the tip credit permitted under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, but if a worker’s wages plus tips do not reach the required living wage for the hours worked, the employer must make up the difference.
How the New Wage Requirement Will Be Put Into Contracts
The executive order took effect upon approval on Aug. 12, but its implementation is tied closely to the city’s contracting process.
Within 30 days of the order’s effective date, Houston’s chief procurement officer is directed to incorporate its requirements into relevant competitive procurements and qualifying City contracts issued after the order, as well as contracts for which negotiations begin after its effective date.
Contractors entering covered agreements after the order takes effect are required to comply with the living wage policy. The executive order also includes provisions addressing notification of potential violations and makes clear that federal or state law controls if a conflict arises.
The policy does not prevent workers from collectively bargaining for wages above Houston’s living wage floor, according to the order.
A Longer History of Houston Airport Wage Increases
Houston’s latest airport wage increase is part of a longer progression.
The federal minimum wage reached $7.25 per hour in 2009 and has remained at that level, while Houston later adopted its own higher wage requirements for workers connected to certain airport contracts.
A 2019 Houston airport policy established a wage of $10.39 per hour, followed by increases to $11.22 in 2020 and $12 in 2021. The 2022 version of Executive Order 1-64 then called for increases to $13 in April 2022, $14 that October and $15 beginning in October 2023.
The Aug. 12, 2026 order supersedes that earlier policy and resets the schedule at $20, eventually reaching $23 in October 2028.
For a full-time worker clocking 40 hours each week, the difference between $15 and $20 an hour amounts to $200 more in gross weekly pay before taxes and deductions. Once the wage reaches $23, that difference from the former $15 floor would amount to $320 per 40-hour week.
Those figures do not capture every worker’s schedule or circumstances, but they illustrate why the policy could be meaningful for households balancing housing, food, transportation and utility expenses.
What Happens Next for Houston Airport Workers
The next phase will happen through Houston’s procurement and contracting system as the city incorporates the revised living wage requirements into applicable agreements.
Covered workers should ultimately see the wage progression move from $20 in 2026 to $21 in January 2027, $22 in October 2027 and $23 in October 2028, subject to the terms and timing established in Executive Order 1-64.
For Houston, the policy also places airport workforce retention alongside customer service and the city’s broader role as an international travel hub. For workers such as Dillon, however, the most immediate measure of the change may be much closer to home: whether each paycheck stretches further toward the bills waiting at the end of the month.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates on Houston Airports, local government decisions and changes affecting workers, families and communities across the Houston area.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
