NextChapter

Best cities for software and engineering jobs

San Francisco has the most software and engineering openings in the United States: 3,412 openings, in a market where engineering is 25% of openings across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 San Francisco, CA: 3,412 openings
  • #2 New York, NY: 2,961 openings
  • #3 Austin, TX: 1,931 openings
  • 100 cities ranked in the United States
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 25% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1San Francisco CA3,412 openings
  2. 2New York NY2,961 openings
  3. 3Austin TX1,931 openings
  4. 4Seattle WA1,776 openings
  5. 5Los Angeles CA1,159 openings
  6. 6Chicago IL1,140 openings
  7. 7San Diego CA1,095 openings
  8. 8San Jose CA1,044 openings
  9. 9Houston TX1,018 openings
  10. 10Atlanta GA973 openings

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: San Francisco (3,412 openings) is well clear of Atlanta at #10 (973 openings).
  • San Francisco is the largest market in the top ten, with 3,412 engineering openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 50 engineering openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Engineering hiring clusters in a handful of metros. Counting engineering openings shows where the demand for software and engineering skills is deepest.

How to use it

Use it to decide where to network and which employers to follow. A big market also means more competition, so compare it with the pay and entry-level lists.

The top 25

  1. 1

    San Francisco CA

    3,412 openings

    Share of all openings
    28%
    Median engineering pay
    $233k
    All openings
    12,335

    Hiring most here: OpenAI, Anthropic, University Of California San Francisco Foundation

    Based on 3,412 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Francisco

  2. 2

    New York NY

    2,961 openings

    Share of all openings
    13%
    Median engineering pay
    $200k
    All openings
    22,145

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 2,961 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  3. 3

    Austin TX

    1,931 openings

    Share of all openings
    31%
    Median engineering pay
    $185k
    All openings
    6,257

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Advanced Micro Devices, Cloudflare

    Based on 1,931 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Austin

  4. 4

    Seattle WA

    1,776 openings

    Share of all openings
    32%
    Median engineering pay
    $200k
    All openings
    5,635

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Blue Origin, Shield AI

    Based on 1,776 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Seattle

  5. 5

    Los Angeles CA

    1,159 openings

    Share of all openings
    21%
    Median engineering pay
    $165k
    All openings
    5,439

    Hiring most here: K2 Space, Cedars-sinai Medical Center, Apex Space

    Based on 1,159 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Los Angeles

  6. 6

    Chicago IL

    1,140 openings

    Share of all openings
    14%
    Median engineering pay
    $150k
    All openings
    8,033

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Confidential, Mars

    Based on 1,140 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chicago

  7. 7

    San Diego CA

    1,095 openings

    Share of all openings
    34%
    Median engineering pay
    $162k
    All openings
    3,240

    Hiring most here: Qualcomm Inc/De, Qualcomm Technologies, General Atomics

    Based on 1,095 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Diego

  8. 8

    San Jose CA

    1,044 openings

    Share of all openings
    41%
    Median engineering pay
    $210k
    All openings
    2,552

    Hiring most here: Super Micro Computer, Advanced Micro Devices, Cisco Systems

    Based on 1,044 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in San Jose

  9. 9

    Houston TX

    1,018 openings

    Share of all openings
    22%
    Median engineering pay
    $135k
    All openings
    4,621

    Hiring most here: Axiom Space, Fervo Energy, Trinzic

    Based on 1,018 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Houston

  10. 10

    Atlanta GA

    973 openings

    Share of all openings
    17%
    Median engineering pay
    $150k
    All openings
    5,877

    Hiring most here: Emory University, Oxford College of Emory University, Capgemini Invent

    Based on 973 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Atlanta

  11. 11

    Boston MA

    910 openings

    Share of all openings
    17%
    Median engineering pay
    $182k
    All openings
    5,338

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Confidential, Takeda Development Center Americas

    Based on 910 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  12. 12

    Sunnyvale CA

    872 openings

    Share of all openings
    53%
    Median engineering pay
    $208k
    All openings
    1,655

    Hiring most here: Applied Intuition, Amazon, Wayve

    Based on 872 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Sunnyvale

  13. 13

    Washington DC

    855 openings

    Share of all openings
    18%
    Median engineering pay
    $172k
    All openings
    4,748

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Confidential, Shield AI

    Based on 855 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  14. 14

    Denver CO

    793 openings

    Share of all openings
    26%
    Median engineering pay
    $150k
    All openings
    2,996

    Hiring most here: True Anomaly, Blue Origin, Amazon

    Based on 793 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Denver

  15. 15

    Santa Clara CA

    785 openings

    Share of all openings
    46%
    Median engineering pay
    $207k
    All openings
    1,689

    Hiring most here: Nvidia, Pure Storage, Advanced Micro Devices

    Based on 785 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Santa Clara

  16. 16

    Dallas TX

    772 openings

    Share of all openings
    16%
    Median engineering pay
    $150k
    All openings
    4,778

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Shield AI, Texas Instruments

    Based on 772 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Dallas

  17. 17

    Huntsville AL

    701 openings

    Share of all openings
    59%
    Median engineering pay
    $147k
    All openings
    1,196

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, L3HARRIS Technologies, Blue Origin

    Based on 701 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Huntsville

  18. 18

    Phoenix AZ

    692 openings

    Share of all openings
    24%
    Median engineering pay
    $133k
    All openings
    2,922

    Hiring most here: Honeywell Aerospace, State of Arizona, American Society for Microbiology

    Based on 692 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Phoenix

  19. 19

    Redmond WA

    686 openings

    Share of all openings
    59%
    Median engineering pay
    $209k
    All openings
    1,166

    Hiring most here: Amazon, SpaceX, Microsoft

    Based on 686 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Redmond

  20. 20

    Mountain View CA

    680 openings

    Share of all openings
    42%
    Median engineering pay
    $220k
    All openings
    1,637

    Hiring most here: Intuit, Google, Waymo

    Based on 680 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mountain View

  21. 21

    Charlotte NC

    654 openings

    Share of all openings
    19%
    Median engineering pay
    $136k
    All openings
    3,402

    Hiring most here: Truist Financial, Scout Motors, SMBC Americas

    Based on 654 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlotte

  22. 22

    Irvine CA

    586 openings

    Share of all openings
    37%
    Median engineering pay
    $170k
    All openings
    1,587

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, Field AI, Rivian Automotive

    Based on 586 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Irvine

  23. 23

    Long Beach CA

    534 openings

    Share of all openings
    61%
    Median engineering pay
    $159k
    All openings
    876

    Hiring most here: Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, Vast

    Based on 534 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Long Beach

  24. 24

    El Segundo CA

    491 openings

    Share of all openings
    51%
    Median engineering pay
    $168k
    All openings
    959

    Hiring most here: Chaos Industries, Radiant, Varda Space Industries

    Based on 491 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in El Segundo

  25. 25

    Palo Alto CA

    483 openings

    Share of all openings
    38%
    Median engineering pay
    $200k
    All openings
    1,263

    Hiring most here: SpaceX, Rivian Automotive, Stanford Health Care

    Based on 483 engineering openings.

    Jobs and employers in Palo Alto

Full ranking

All 100 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1San Francisco CA3,412 openings3,412
2New York NY2,961 openings2,961
3Austin TX1,931 openings1,931
4Seattle WA1,776 openings1,776
5Los Angeles CA1,159 openings1,159
6Chicago IL1,140 openings1,140
7San Diego CA1,095 openings1,095
8San Jose CA1,044 openings1,044
9Houston TX1,018 openings1,018
10Atlanta GA973 openings973
11Boston MA910 openings910
12Sunnyvale CA872 openings872
13Washington DC855 openings855
14Denver CO793 openings793
15Santa Clara CA785 openings785
16Dallas TX772 openings772
17Huntsville AL701 openings701
18Phoenix AZ692 openings692
19Redmond WA686 openings686
20Mountain View CA680 openings680
21Charlotte NC654 openings654
22Irvine CA586 openings586
23Long Beach CA534 openings534
24El Segundo CA491 openings491
25Palo Alto CA483 openings483
26Arlington VA456 openings456
27Herndon VA441 openings441
28Bellevue WA421 openings421
29Louisville KY395 openings395
30Colorado Springs CO366 openings366
31Nashville TN363 openings363
32Orlando FL362 openings362
33San Mateo CA361 openings361
34Torrance CA361 openings361
35Fort Worth TX348 openings348
36Raleigh NC341 openings341
37Indianapolis IN327 openings327
38Pittsburgh PA327 openings327
39Columbus OH316 openings316
40Tucson AZ307 openings307
41Chantilly VA304 openings304
42Salt Lake City UT289 openings289
43McLean VA288 openings288
44Reston VA281 openings281
45Tampa FL275 openings275
46Cincinnati OH252 openings252
47Miami FL247 openings247
48San Antonio TX245 openings245
49Baltimore MD242 openings242
50Minneapolis MN241 openings241
51Plano TX237 openings237
52Boulder CO233 openings233
53Philadelphia PA231 openings231
54Fremont CA226 openings226
55Richmond VA212 openings212
56Littleton CO207 openings207
57Irving TX199 openings199
58Waltham MA184 openings184
59Cedar Rapids IA181 openings181
60Chandler AZ179 openings179
61Scottsdale AZ176 openings176
62Jacksonville FL174 openings174
63Menlo Park CA174 openings174
64Milwaukee WI172 openings172
65Rochester NY168 openings168
66Sacramento CA167 openings167
67Cleveland OH164 openings164
68Richardson TX160 openings160
69Jersey City NJ159 openings159
70Foster City CA158 openings158
71Sterling VA155 openings155
72Melbourne FL151 openings151
73Tempe AZ149 openings149
74Annapolis Junction MD147 openings147
75Carlsbad CA145 openings145
76Durham NC139 openings139
77Oklahoma City OK138 openings138
78Overland Park KS138 openings138
79Aurora CO137 openings137
80Westminster CO137 openings137
81Las Vegas NV136 openings136
82Portland OR136 openings136
83Cambridge MA135 openings135
84King of Prussia PA134 openings134
85Memphis TN133 openings133
86Broomfield CO131 openings131
87Fort Meade MD131 openings131
88Kansas City MO131 openings131
89Redwood City CA130 openings130
90Milpitas CA128 openings128
91Detroit MI127 openings127
92Boise ID124 openings124
93Ann Arbor MI123 openings123
94Tulsa OK122 openings122
95Buffalo NY121 openings121
96Alpharetta GA120 openings120
97Cape Canaveral FL119 openings119
98Bethesda MD118 openings118
99Oakland CA118 openings118
100Omaha NE118 openings118

The jobs behind this ranking

Open engineering jobs, who is hiring for them and what they pay.

Job titles link to their salary page where pay is posted, otherwise to the open jobs.

How this ranking works

A city is ranked on the number of its open professional roles classed in the engineering function, which includes software, hardware and data engineering.

Median engineering pay uses only listings that post a salary, and is shown only where at least 8 do. Cities need at least the minimum number of engineering openings to be ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 50 engineering openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for software and engineering jobs?
San Francisco has the most software and engineering openings in the United States: 3,412 openings, in a market where engineering is 25% of openings across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
100 cities have at least 50 engineering openings, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city is ranked on the number of its open professional roles classed in the engineering function, which includes software, hardware and data engineering. Median engineering pay uses only listings that post a salary, and is shown only where at least 8 do. Cities need at least the minimum number of engineering openings to be ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for software and engineering jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs">Best cities for software and engineering jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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