Texas is home to the Port of Houston — the busiest port in the United States by total cargo tonnage — alongside a major Gulf Coast shipbuilding and offshore energy vessel manufacturing base that spans Galveston to Orange.
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Gulf Copper Ship Repair, Keppel AmFELS, and the Port of Houston Authority anchor Texas's maritime economy alongside a deep network of offshore energy vessel operators and Gulf Coast shipbuilders.
Gulf Copper's Galveston facility provides drydock maintenance, repair, and conversion services for offshore supply vessels, drilling rigs, and naval support craft. It is one of the largest private ship repair operations on the Texas Gulf Coast.
🌐 ~1,200 TX employees
The Port of Houston is the nation's largest by total cargo tonnage and a major driver of employment across the Houston metropolitan area, supporting crane operators, equipment technicians, logistics professionals, and maritime workers at scale.
🌐 ~18,000 direct port-related jobs
Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville builds and repairs jack-up rigs, semi-submersible platforms, and specialty vessels for the offshore energy industry. The facility is a major employer for skilled trades workers in the Rio Grande Valley.
🌐 ~1,500 TX employees
The Port of Houston handles more total cargo tonnage than any other port in the United States, creating sustained long-term demand for equipment technicians, logistics specialists, and maritime operations professionals across the greater Houston region.
Texas's Gulf Coast shipyards build and maintain the offshore supply vessels, drilling support ships, and specialty craft that serve the nation's oil and gas industry, creating a resilient and well-compensated maritime manufacturing base.
Texas has no state income tax, meaning maritime trades workers keep significantly more of their earnings compared to counterparts in California, Washington, or other coastal states — a powerful financial advantage.
As Gulf of Mexico offshore energy operations expand and offshore wind development begins along the Texas coast, demand for marine technicians and vessel support workers is growing well beyond the traditional shipbuilding base.
Fabricate and join steel components for offshore supply vessels, tugboats, barges, and military support craft at Gulf Coast shipyards from Galveston to Orange. One of the most in-demand trades across Texas maritime.
Maintain, service, and repair engines, hydraulics, and mechanical systems on offshore supply vessels and platform support ships operating in the Gulf of Mexico. A skilled and highly compensated career tied to the energy sector.
Maintain cranes, rail-mounted gantries, and container handling systems at the Port of Houston and other Gulf Coast terminals. A fast-growing career as port automation investment accelerates across Texas's major terminals.
Whether you are building offshore vessels at Gulf Coast shipyards, repairing rigs at Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, maintaining port equipment at the Port of Houston, or supporting the growing offshore energy and wind sectors across the Texas coast, opportunity here runs wide and deep.
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