Technology & IT · Austin, TX
Austin has more than twice the national share of software developers, yet the metro's developer median of $134,120 sits just under the U.S. figure. Careerscape's IT specialists recruit for Austin employers from across the country, as part of a staffing agency organized by industry.
The Austin paradox
Federal wage data for May 2025 counts 31,960 software developers in the Austin metro, with a location quotient of 2.28. That means the occupation's share of local jobs is more than twice the national share. Quality assurance analysts (2.15), IT managers (1.98), systems administrators (1.92) and database administrators (1.90) are similarly concentrated. Few metros give an employer this many experienced people within commuting distance.
The surprise is pay. The metro median for software developers is $134,120, slightly under the U.S. median of $135,980, and QA analysts sit just under the national figure too. Austin's premiums show up in narrower roles: database administrators earn a median $123,830 against $104,620 nationally, and data scientists $127,360 against $120,230. In practice, an Austin offer is often weighed against remote offers from employers anywhere, not just against the company down the road.
2026 added supply. Oracle, whose SEC filings list an Austin address, began a round of layoffs in April and declined to say how many Austin employees were affected, according to KXAN. Dell, headquartered in Round Rock, reported about 97,000 employees in its fiscal 2026 annual report and described a continued reduction in headcount. Experienced engineers, program managers and IT operations staff from large companies are easier to reach than they were two years ago.
For the broader Austin job market, including construction, manufacturing and the agency types explained, see our Austin staffing guide. This page stays on technology.
BLS pay and depth
Every occupation in this table has a location quotient above 1.0 in Austin, which is unusual. Read the last two columns together: depth tells you how many candidates exist locally, and the pay gap tells you whether the local market pays above or below the nation.
| Occupation | Jobs in metro | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 31,960 | $134,120−1% | 2.28 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 3,340 | $103,070−1% | 2.15 |
| Information Security Analysts | 2,390 | $134,100+4% | 1.51 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 5,030 | $104,520+5% | 1.92 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 6,930 | $104,590−1% | 1.60 |
| Data Scientists | 3,730 | $127,360+6% | 1.71 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 11,050 | $176,990+1% | 1.98 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 9,680 | $61,990±0% | 1.62 |
| Computer Network Architects | 1,700 | $133,710±0% | 1.13 |
| Database Administrators | 1,110 | $123,830+18% | 1.90 |
| Web Developers | 800 | $84,960−8% | 1.37 |
The deepest pools are software developers, QA analysts and IT managers. The thinnest, relative to the rest of the table, are computer network architects (1.13) and web developers (1.37), and web developers are the one role here that earns clearly less than the U.S. median ($84,960 against $92,650). Figures are BLS OEWS cross-industry estimates for May 2025; offers for senior or specialized roles run above these medians. Jobs and median annual pay for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, all employers, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025). “Vs. U.S.” compares with the national median. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job makes up a bigger share of local employment than it does nationally.
Texas rules
Two recent Texas laws touch technology work directly, and a 2019 rule shapes every contract IT placement at a state agency. General information as of October 2026, not legal advice.
| Law | What it does | Why it matters for hiring |
|---|---|---|
| HB 149, Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (in effect January 1, 2026) | Bars developing or deploying an AI system with intent to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class. Disparate impact alone does not prove intent. The Attorney General enforces; there is no private right of action. | Private employers do not have to disclose AI screening to applicants under this law, but intent-based discrimination claims are now possible. Document how any AI resume screen is configured. |
| HB 149 regulatory sandbox | The Department of Information Resources runs a sandbox where approved participants can test AI systems with certain state requirements waived. | AI product teams in Austin may be building inside or alongside the sandbox, which raises demand for engineers who understand compliance. |
| HB 150, Texas Cyber Command (effective September 1, 2025) | Created the Texas Cyber Command and moved many of the Department of Information Resources' cybersecurity duties to it. | Security roles in state government and its vendors now work under a new agency's standards. |
| State-contractor training rule (HB 3834 of 2019) | A state agency must require contractors with access to a state computer system or database to complete a certified cybersecurity training program. | Contract IT staff placed at a state agency must finish the training. Build it into the start date. |
The training requirement applies to contractors of state agencies, which matters in Austin because state government is the metro's largest employer. Private employers are not covered. Source: Texas Legislature Online: HB 149 and HB 150 (89th Legislature), HB 3834 (86th Legislature), enrolled texts.
Hiring advice
Practical points for Austin hiring managers, based on the data above and what has changed since 2025.
Because local medians sit near U.S. levels for software and QA roles, your real competition is often a remote employer paying a national band. Check role ranges in the software engineer and QA engineer pages of the Salary Guide before you post.
Database administrators and data scientists are where Austin pays above the nation. If your band was set from national figures, it may be short. See the database administrator and data scientist pages.
People leaving large Austin employers bring scale experience but may hold non-solicitation or confidentiality terms. Ask early, and give senior candidates time to review agreements before an offer deadline.
If you rank applicants with an AI tool, record what it scores and who reviews the output. Under HB 149 the question is intent, and a written process is the simplest evidence of it.
For contract roles at a Texas state agency, the certified cybersecurity course has to be completed during the contract. Agree with the agency who schedules it so it does not delay system access.
What we recruit
Our technology recruiters work by specialty, not by city, and run Austin searches remotely. Typical requests fall into four groups.
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FAQ
The median annual wage for software developers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro was $134,120 in May 2025, according to BLS. The U.S. median was $135,980, so Austin sits slightly below the nation despite its large talent pool. Pay rises well above the median for senior, specialized or leadership roles. The Salary Guide breaks out ranges by level.
For most roles, Austin has more local candidates relative to its size than the nation does. Every IT occupation BLS tracks in our table has a location quotient above 1.0, led by software developers at 2.28. The harder searches are narrower: network architects and web developers are less concentrated, and specialized security or data roles still draw competing offers from remote employers.
Yes, if they have access to a state computer system or database. Since HB 3834 of 2019, Texas has required state agencies to make such contractors complete a certified cybersecurity training program. HB 150, effective September 1, 2025, created the Texas Cyber Command and moved many state cybersecurity duties to it, so confirm with the agency which course it accepts.
Partly. The Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (HB 149), in effect since January 1, 2026, prohibits using an AI system with intent to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class. Disparate impact alone does not establish intent, private employers need not disclose AI use to applicants, and only the Attorney General can enforce it. Federal anti-discrimination law still applies to any screening tool.
Careerscape has no Austin office. Our technology recruiters specialize by field and recruit for Austin employers remotely, by phone and video. You receive a short list of pre-screened candidates in a private Employer Portal. We handle direct hire, contract staffing, contract-to-hire and executive search for technology roles.
Share the stack, the level and the budget, and we will send a short list of engineers who fit all three. See how our technology staffing works, or compare markets on the technology overview.
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