Technology & IT · 29 U.S. markets
Seattle has four times the U.S. share of software developers, yet 19 of the 29 metros we cover pay developers below the national median, so the market you hire in changes both the pool and the price. Careerscape's technology recruiters specialize by field rather than by city and recruit remotely for employers in all 29.
What we recruit
Our recruiters specialize by industry, not by city. These are the technology roles they fill for employers through direct hire, contract, contract-to-hire and executive search. Service details are on our technology staffing page.
Developer depth
Software developers are the largest tech occupation BLS tracks, with 1,717,800 U.S. jobs in 2025 and a national median of $135,980. The table shows each metro's developer jobs, median pay and location quotient (1.0 means the same share of jobs as the U.S.).
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 121,000 | $166,830+23% | 1.17 |
| Seattle | 92,770 | $167,280+23% | 4.10 |
| Washington, DC | 69,060 | $154,930+14% | 2.03 |
| San Francisco | 69,030 | $186,640+37% | 2.68 |
| Dallas | 67,030 | $133,290−2% | 1.52 |
| Los Angeles | 55,540 | $160,920+18% | 0.82 |
| Boston | 42,310 | $166,090+22% | 1.44 |
| Chicago | 40,370 | $134,380−1% | 0.82 |
| Atlanta | 36,300 | $132,960−2% | 1.16 |
| Austin | 31,960 | $134,120−1% | 2.28 |
| Phoenix | 29,380 | $131,750−3% | 1.14 |
| Philadelphia | 28,480 | $133,040−2% | 0.91 |
| Minneapolis | 27,410 | $130,920−4% | 1.29 |
| Denver | 27,010 | $137,610+1% | 1.55 |
| Detroit | 24,870 | $130,760−4% | 1.20 |
| Houston | 22,940 | $129,440−5% | 0.64 |
| Charlotte | 20,820 | $135,920±0% | 1.41 |
| San Diego | 20,610 | $163,270+20% | 1.23 |
| Miami | 18,900 | $132,650−2% | 0.62 |
| Portland | 18,260 | $156,000+15% | 1.39 |
| Baltimore | 16,850 | $138,900+2% | 1.14 |
| Tampa | 14,230 | $130,450−4% | 0.91 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 12,580 | $132,770−2% | 1.56 |
| Pittsburgh | 10,320 | $124,500−8% | 0.85 |
| Nashville | 7,750 | $126,610−7% | 0.65 |
| Hartford | 6,010 | $132,520−3% | 0.92 |
| Providence | 5,020 | $130,690−4% | 0.65 |
| Buffalo | 3,960 | $127,850−6% | 0.68 |
| Albany | 3,280 | $127,910−6% | 0.67 |
Seattle (4.1), San Francisco (2.68), Austin (2.28) and Washington, DC (2.03) have the highest concentrations. New York has the most developers, 121,000, at a quotient of 1.17. Pay runs from a $186,640 median in San Francisco to $124,500 in Pittsburgh, and 19 of the 29 markets sit below the U.S. median: a handful of coastal hubs pull the national figure up. Software Developers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $135,980. Concentration is the BLS location quotient (1.0 = the U.S. share). Each market links to its page.
Deepest pools
Developers are only one part of the picture. For other roles the deepest markets are often different ones, based on BLS May 2025 location quotients.
Washington, DC leads with 16,560 jobs and a location quotient of 4.31, followed by Baltimore (2.77) and Raleigh (2.75). See our DC tech page.
Denver stands apart, with 10,260 network architects and a location quotient of 5.51, the highest concentration of any role in any market we track. Washington, DC (2.58) and Raleigh (2.55) come next. See Denver.
San Francisco (2.61) and Seattle (2.38) are deepest and best paid, at medians of $170,110 and $164,740. New York has the most, 23,160, and Charlotte (1.93) is the deepest outside the coastal hubs.
Seattle (2.73), Albany (2.19) and Boston (1.93). Albany's analysts earn an $86,890 median, well below the U.S. median of $105,850.
Seattle (2.65), Charlotte (2.39), Washington, DC (2.25) and Austin (2.15). Charlotte's $81,990 median is well under the U.S. figure of $104,300. See Charlotte.
New York has 62,430, about twice Dallas's 30,690. San Francisco has the highest concentration (2.33) and the highest median, $232,890.
Thin markets
Several markets we cover have well under the national share of developers: Miami (0.62), Houston (0.64), Nashville (0.65), Providence (0.65), Albany (0.67) and Buffalo (0.68). In those metros, a senior engineering search often means recruiting candidates willing to relocate, or opening the role to hybrid or remote work.
Thin does not always mean cheap. Miami's developers earn a $132,650 median and Houston's $129,440, a little below the U.S. median of $135,980 but far closer to it than the gap in supply would suggest. The savings against San Francisco, at $186,640, are real.
The deepest markets have the opposite problem. Seattle and San Francisco have plenty of experienced engineers, but developer medians 23% and 37% above the U.S., and AI companies competing for the same people. Our pages on Seattle and San Francisco cover those markets in detail.
2025-35 outlook
BLS projects much faster than average growth, 7% or more over 2025-35, for software developers, information security analysts, computer systems analysts, data scientists, network architects and IT managers. Employment of network and systems administrators and computer user support specialists is projected to decline, though turnover still creates about 13,400 and 39,700 openings a year. Software developers lead with about 95,300 openings a year.
| Occupation | U.S. jobs, 2025 | U.S. median | Projected growth, 2025–35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 1,717,800 | $135,980 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 95,300 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 187,600 | $104,300 | Faster than average (5% to 6%) | 10,700 |
| Information Security Analysts | 192,900 | $129,180 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 14,100 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 323,600 | $99,130 | Decline (-1% or lower) | 13,400 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 544,400 | $105,850 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 32,900 |
| Data Scientists | 275,600 | $120,230 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 24,800 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 685,800 | $175,140 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 53,500 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 750,600 | $61,860 | Decline (-1% or lower) | 39,700 |
| Computer Network Architects | 181,800 | $134,050 | Much faster than average (7% or higher) | 9,600 |
| Database Administrators | 75,000 | $104,620 | Little or no change | 3,300 |
| Web Developers | 87,400 | $92,650 | Average (3% to 4%) | 5,300 |
BLS Employment Projections and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), as published on O*NET OnLine. Openings include replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
State rules
Most software and IT jobs need no state license. These rules shape layoffs, security programs and AI work in specific places. Status as of October 2026; not legal advice.
| Where | Rule | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | SB 5525 mini-WARN Act, in effect since July 27, 2025 | Employers with 50+ full-time workers in the state must give 60 days' notice before a layoff or closure affecting 50+ full-time workers |
| California | SB 53, Transparency in Frontier AI Act, in effect since Jan 1, 2026 | Whistleblower protections at frontier AI developers; large developers must run an anonymous internal reporting process |
| California | CPPA cybersecurity audit and risk-assessment rules, effective Jan 1, 2026 | Phased independent security audits; the first reports, for businesses with 2026 revenue above $100M, are due Apr 1, 2028 |
| Federal contractors (DC, Maryland, Virginia and elsewhere) | Security clearances | Cleared roles need candidates who hold, or can obtain, the clearance the contract requires, such as Secret, TS or TS/SCI |
City pages cover the hiring-law details for each market, such as pay-range posting rules. Source: Fenwick (Washington SB 5525); White & Case (SB 53); Bass, Berry & Sims (CPPA rules).
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FAQ
By count, New York: the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro had 121,000 software developers in May 2025, per BLS. By concentration, Seattle leads the markets we cover, with 92,770 developers and a location quotient of 4.1, meaning developers make up about four times the share of local jobs that they do nationally. San Francisco (2.68) and Austin (2.28) are next.
Washington, DC has the deepest pool of the markets we cover: 16,560 information security analysts and a location quotient of 4.31. Baltimore (2.77) and Raleigh (2.75) follow. Many federal contractor roles in these areas also require a clearance. Careerscape recruits cleared professionals at Secret, TS and TS/SCI levels, including polygraph roles.
Careerscape is one national team that works remotely, with no city offices. Our technology recruiters specialize by industry and recruit for employers in all 29 markets on this page. The city pages describe each local talent market; they do not describe local branches. You review candidates, request interviews and leave feedback in a private Employer Portal.
BLS projects much faster than average growth, 7% or more from 2025 to 2035, for software developers, information security analysts, data scientists, computer systems analysts, network architects and IT managers. Software developers have the most projected openings, about 95,300 a year. Network and systems administrators and computer user support specialists are projected to decline, though turnover still creates openings.
A lot. The BLS median for software developers ranges from $186,640 in the San Francisco metro to $124,500 in Pittsburgh, against a U.S. median of $135,980. In 19 of the 29 markets we cover, the developer median is below the national figure. Our software engineer salary guide and the full Salary Guide show national ranges by role.
Our recruiters work nationally by specialty. Send us the role, and we'll tell you where the candidates are.
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