Texas Ranks Near Bottom in Software Job Density, New 2026 Data Shows

WAXAHACHIE, Texas (TXAN 24) — Texas is ranking near the bottom nationally for software engineering job postings per resident, according to 2026 data compiled from ZipRecruiter and analyzed by SeoProfy.

The report shows Texas recorded 3.46 software engineering postings per 100,000 working-age residents, placing it second-worst among all 50 states. In total, the state logged 576 postings across a working-age population of more than 16.6 million, sitting about 57% below the national average of 8.09.

California ranked lowest in per-capita postings at 2.48, followed by Texas, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana rounding out the bottom five. New York, Kentucky, Alaska, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania also appeared in the bottom 10 list.

While the rankings suggest limited job density in Texas, the raw totals point to a different layer of context. Large states tend to see their per-capita figures diluted even when overall demand remains high, particularly in major tech and corporate hubs like Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston.

The dataset also reflects a narrow slice of the broader tech market, focusing specifically on “software engineering” postings, which may not fully capture adjacent roles in data science, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and DevOps—fields that continue to expand across Texas.

Still, the figures highlight a competitive national landscape where population growth is outpacing visible per-capita hiring signals in certain sectors.