Brownsville, Texas Job Outlook

Given its strategic location on the U.S.-Mexico border and along the Gulf Coast, Brownsville is a flourishing trade hub. The Port of Brownsville is the center of the region's import and export activity, housing major manufacturing companies like Keppel AmFELS. Ships carrying everything from grain to metals travel up the channel into the Gulf just south of South Padre Island. Aerospace engineering is also growing in the area, with the SpaceX Boca Chica rocket launch site.

The metro area's location also contributes to its popularity as a tourism destination. South Padre Island, a thin barrier island separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, welcomes hordes of coeds every spring, while its golden sands fill with families throughout the rest of the year. Area residents find employment at the numerous hotels and restaurants in South Padre Island and in nearby Port Isabel, not to mention the area attractions, like waterparks.

Education is another primary industry, with residents finding work with the Brownsville Independent School District and the University of Texas--Rio Grande Valley. Other area employers include the Cameron County Government and the Valley Regional Medical Center.