Technology & IT · Raleigh-Durham, NC
Raleigh-Cary employs information security analysts at 2.75 times the national share and network architects at 2.55, yet network architects here earn about 10% less than the U.S. median. As a national recruiting firm, Careerscape staffs Triangle IT roles through remote recruiters who each concentrate on one industry.
The map
Tech employers sit in a band along I-40 and the Durham Freeway. Companies are named as market context from public sources, not as Careerscape clients.
Red Hat, an IBM subsidiary since July 9, 2019, has its headquarters here. The company moved to NC State's Centennial Campus in 2002 and to downtown Raleigh in 2013, so open-source, cloud and Linux engineering talent clusters near the city center.
SAS, the analytics software company, runs its headquarters on a 900-acre campus. Epic Games has been headquartered in Cary since 1999 and laid off 870 employees in September 2023.
Lenovo's U.S. operations are based here. Wake Tech's RTP Campus, built to serve western Wake County and the park, is also in Morrisville.
Founded in 1959, the 7,000-acre park hosts hundreds of companies, from global tech firms to startups. Most of the park is in Durham County, with about a quarter in Wake.
Duke and UNC anchor a separate BLS metro, Durham-Chapel Hill, which is not in the table below. Many Triangle candidates will consider jobs on either side.
Raleigh-Cary data
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro only. The Durham-Chapel Hill metro, which holds most of Research Triangle Park, is counted separately and is not in this table.
| Occupation | Jobs in metro | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 12,580 | $132,770−2% | 1.56 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 1,760 | $110,800+6% | 1.97 |
| Information Security Analysts | 2,510 | $143,640+11% | 2.75 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 2,730 | $103,380+4% | 1.82 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 4,530 | $108,480+2% | 1.83 |
| Data Scientists | 1,990 | $120,710±0% | 1.59 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 6,010 | $173,960−1% | 1.88 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 5,320 | $62,460+1% | 1.55 |
| Computer Network Architects | 2,190 | $120,640−10% | 2.55 |
| Database Administrators | 510 | $122,950+18% | 1.54 |
| Web Developers | 430 | $82,250−11% | 1.29 |
Information security analysts (LQ 2.75) and computer network architects (2.55) are the standouts, both well over twice the national share. Their pay splits: security analysts earn $143,640 here against $129,180 nationally, but network architects earn $120,640 against $134,050. IT managers are also concentrated (LQ 1.88, 6,010 jobs) and paid close to the U.S. median, at $173,960. Web developers ($82,250 against $92,650) also sit below the U.S. median, while database administrators ($122,950) run well above it. Jobs and median annual pay for the Raleigh-Cary, NC 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.
Reading the data
Federal statistics split the Triangle into two metros. The table above covers Raleigh-Cary, which includes Raleigh, Cary and Morrisville. Most of Research Triangle Park sits in Durham County, so the park's largest campuses report into the Durham-Chapel Hill metro instead. If you hire for an RTP address, the realistic candidate pool is both metros combined.
Even on the Raleigh side alone, the depth is real. The metro has 12,580 software developers, a location quotient of 1.56, and 1,760 QA analysts and testers at 1.97. For a metro of about 743,000 jobs that is an unusually technical workforce. For the region's life sciences build-out and North Carolina's general hiring rules, see our Raleigh-Durham staffing page.
Who we recruit
Pay links go to national pay by role in our Salary Guide.
For hiring managers
Practical points drawn from the data above and North Carolina law.
Post and source for Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill together. A Morrisville or RTP job is a reasonable commute from most of the Triangle, and limiting the search to one county shrinks the pool for no reason.
The Raleigh-Cary median for network architects is about 10% below the U.S. median even though the pool is deep. Remote employers paying national rates will notice. Compare with our network engineer salary guide.
Raleigh-Cary security analysts earn about 11% more than the U.S. median, and the pool is the metro's deepest by location quotient. Offers anchored to national averages will come in low; see the cybersecurity analyst salary guide.
Under G.S. 143-800, North Carolina state agencies and local governments may not pay a ransomware demand and must consult the Department of Information Technology. Recovery, backup and incident-response skills matter more than usual in those roles.
Wake Tech, North Carolina's largest community college, runs a campus in Morrisville built to serve the park. NC State's Centennial Campus housed Red Hat before its move downtown. Both feed entry-level and support roles.
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FAQ
The federal government defines Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill as two metropolitan areas, so BLS publishes separate wage and employment figures for each. Our table covers Raleigh-Cary. Most of Research Triangle Park lies in Durham County, so many RTP jobs count toward Durham-Chapel Hill. For hiring, treat the two as one commuting market.
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $132,770 for software developers in the Raleigh-Cary metro, slightly below the U.S. median of $135,980. The Raleigh-Cary metro has 12,580 software developers; the neighboring Durham-Chapel Hill metro is counted separately. See our software engineer salary guide for ranges by level.
No. G.S. 143-800 bars state agencies and local government entities from paying, or otherwise communicating with, an entity that encrypts their data and demands a ransom. They must consult the N.C. Department of Information Technology instead, and state agencies must report significant incidents to the State CIO within 24 hours of confirmation under G.S. 143B-1379.
Our recruiters work remotely; Careerscape is a national agency with no Triangle office. Our technology recruiters specialize by industry and recruit for employers in Raleigh, Cary, Durham and RTP. You receive a pre-screened shortlist and use a private Employer Portal to request interviews and leave feedback.
Use contract staffing for migrations, implementations and other fixed-length work, contract-to-hire when you want to see someone on your systems before committing, and direct hire for permanent security, network and leadership roles. Executive search suits CIO and engineering director roles.
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