Short answer
The Corpus Christi metro had 33 staffing agency establishments in 2023, employing 971 people on a $36.3 million payroll, according to Census County Business Patterns: 27 temporary help offices and 6 placement or search offices, 30 of them in Nueces County. That's 0.7% of Texas's 4,644. For port work, ask whether the agency's workers hold a TWIC card, which secure areas of maritime facilities require.
- 33 staffing establishments in the Corpus Christi metro employ 971 people; 27 are temp help offices.
- Nueces County has 30 of the 33 offices and 919 of the employees.
- Six temp offices have 50 to 99 employees, the largest size class the Census Bureau publishes here.
- A new TWIC card costs $127 and lasts five years; a crew of 20 needs $2,540 in cards.
On this page
This page is for Coastal Bend employers looking for an agency, job seekers comparing agencies, and sellers whose customers are staffing firms. The market is small, so this is a short report; for statewide figures and rules, see staffing agencies in Texas.
Corpus Christi staffing agencies in Census data
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, Corpus Christi, TX Metro Area (CBSA 18580), NAICS 56131 (Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services) and NAICS 56132 (Temporary Help Services).
| Measure (2023) | Corpus Christi metro |
|---|---|
| Establishments | 33 |
| Employees (week of March 12) | 971 |
| Annual payroll | $36,338,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 29.4 |
| Average annual pay | $37,423 |
| Share of US establishments | 0.06% of 51,830 |
| Area | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Nueces County, Texas | 30 | 919 |
The 27 temp help offices report 877 of the 971 employees, because a temp agency employs the people it places and they're counted on its payroll, not the client's. The other 6 are 3 placement agencies and 3 executive search offices.
With so few offices, the Census Bureau publishes only one size class for the two codes combined: 14 establishments with 1 to 4 employees. The temp rows add a little: 11 temp offices have 1 to 4 employees, 3 have 5 to 9, 5 have 20 to 49 and 6 have 50 to 99.
These are establishments with paid employees, not companies, so a national brand counts once per branch and self-employed recruiters are left out. Professional employer organizations (NAICS 56133, 5 more establishments) aren't included.
What port and plant work adds
The Coastal Bend's port, refining and petrochemical sites set requirements a general office job doesn't:
- TWIC cards. The Transportation Security Administration says the Transportation Worker Identification Credential is required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act for workers who need access to secure areas of maritime facilities and vessels. A new card costs $127 ($93 at the reduced rate) and is valid for five years.
- Site safety training. Many plants require their own orientation before a contractor's worker is badged in. Ask the agency who schedules and pays for it.
- Insurance. Texas Labor Code section 93.004 lets a temporary employment service choose whether to carry workers' compensation; if it does, its certificate is proof of coverage for you as well. Ask for it. The Austin report covers the other Texas rules for temp agencies.
Illustrative example. A contractor needs a 20-person crew for a dock project. If none hold a TWIC, the cards cost 20 × $127 = $2,540, about $25 per worker per year over the card's life, plus the wait for the security threat assessment. Agree in writing who pays, and whether the agency can supply workers who already carry cards.
How to vet an agency in Corpus Christi
- Check the entity is active on the Texas Comptroller's franchise tax account status search.
- Get proof of insurance: a workers' compensation certificate (coverage is optional for Texas temp agencies, so ask) and liability, both naming your company.
- Ask about credentials: how many of its workers hold a TWIC card or have completed your site's orientation.
- Get pay rate, markup and overtime billing separately, with any per diem for out-of-town crews.
- Read ratings on ClearlyRated's Corpus Christi listings and call a local reference.
Job seekers can also use Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, which connects job seekers and employers across the region and offers training.
Selling to Corpus Christi staffing agencies
With 33 establishments, research every account by hand: read each agency's job postings, note whether it staffs industrial, port, office or healthcare work, and look up the branch manager. The temp offices with 20 to 99 employees, 11 of them, are the likeliest buyers of safety training, credential tracking, workers' compensation and timekeeping. Bebop can find the agencies that match a description and explain why each fits.
Local sources
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Texas franchise tax account status | Whether a business entity is active |
| Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend | Public hiring help and training |
| Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation | The regional economic development partnership, for company expansions |
| Port of Corpus Christi | Port projects and tenants that drive demand |
| TSA: TWIC | Who needs a card, fees and how to apply |
| ClearlyRated: Corpus Christi staffing | Agencies with client and job seeker ratings |
Next step: see how the larger Texas metros compare in staffing agencies in Texas.
Sources
- County Business Patterns (CBP), 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- County Business Patterns methodology, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), Transportation Security Administration, accessed 30 October 2026
- Texas Labor Code section 93.004, Workers' Compensation Insurance Coverage, Public.Law, from Texas Legislature Online, accessed 30 October 2026
- Franchise Tax Account Status, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, accessed 30 October 2026
- Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, accessed 30 October 2026
- Best Corpus Christi Staffing Agencies, ClearlyRated, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many staffing agencies are there in Corpus Christi?
Census County Business Patterns counted 33 staffing agency establishments in the Corpus Christi metro area in 2023, employing 971 people: 27 temporary help offices and 6 placement or executive search offices. Nueces County had 30 of them. The figures count locations with paid employees, so a national firm counts once per branch, and they're 0.7% of the 4,644 staffing establishments in Texas.
Do I need a TWIC card for temp work at the port?
If the job needs access to secure areas of a maritime facility or vessel, yes. The Transportation Security Administration says the Maritime Transportation Security Act requires the Transportation Worker Identification Credential for those workers. A new card costs $127, or $93 at the reduced rate, and is valid for five years. Ask the agency whether the assignment needs one and who pays.
How do I check a staffing agency in Corpus Christi?
Confirm the business is active on the Texas Comptroller's franchise tax account status search, ask for workers' compensation and liability certificates naming your company, and check ratings on an independent review site. For port and plant work, ask how many of the agency's workers hold the credentials and site orientations your job needs. Then call a local reference with similar work.
Why are there so few staffing agencies in Corpus Christi?
The metro is small, and Census counts only establishments with paid employees, so recruiters working alone aren't counted, and agencies that serve the area from branches in other metros are counted where those branches are. The 33 local offices still employed 971 people in March 2023. Industrial projects can also be staffed by contractors and agencies based elsewhere that bring crews in for the job.