Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southwest
Key facts
- #1 Austin, TX: 1,931 openings
- #2 Houston, TX: 1,018 openings
- #3 Dallas, TX: 772 openings
- 33 cities ranked in the Southwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 24% across all cities in our data.
- 1Austin TX1,931 openings
- 2Houston TX1,018 openings
- 3Dallas TX772 openings
- 4Phoenix AZ692 openings
- 5Fort Worth TX348 openings
- 6Tucson AZ307 openings
- 7San Antonio TX245 openings
- 8Plano TX237 openings
- 9Irving TX199 openings
- 10Chandler AZ179 openings
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Austin (1,931 openings) is well clear of Chandler at #10 (179 openings).
- Austin is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,931 engineering openings behind its figure.
- Cities with fewer than 30 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
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
Fort Worth TX
348 openings
- Share of all openings
- 26%
- Median engineering pay
- $122k
- All openings
- 1,339
Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin Services, MP Materials
Based on 348 engineering openings.
- 7
San Antonio TX
245 openings
- Share of all openings
- 18%
- Median engineering pay
- $119k
- All openings
- 1,352
Hiring most here: H-E-B, University Health San Antonio, UT Health San Antonio
Based on 245 engineering openings.
- 8
Plano TX
237 openings
- Share of all openings
- 21%
- Median engineering pay
- $145k
- All openings
- 1,109
Hiring most here: NTT Data, Pepsico, JPMorgan Chase
Based on 237 engineering openings.
- 9
Irving TX
199 openings
- Share of all openings
- 21%
- Median engineering pay
- $142k
- All openings
- 948
Hiring most here: Mckesson, CHRISTUS Health, 7-Eleven
Based on 199 engineering openings.
- 10
Chandler AZ
179 openings
- Share of all openings
- 38%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 473
Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Bechtel Energy, Ralliant
Based on 179 engineering openings.
- 11
Scottsdale AZ
176 openings
- Share of all openings
- 23%
- Median engineering pay
- $136k
- All openings
- 772
Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Axon Enterprise, AMI Semiconductor
Based on 176 engineering openings.
- 12
Richardson TX
160 openings
- Share of all openings
- 37%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 433
Hiring most here: Celestica, Qorvo, OSI Systems
Based on 160 engineering openings.
- 14
Oklahoma City OK
138 openings
- Share of all openings
- 24%
- Median engineering pay
- $137k
- All openings
- 581
Hiring most here: Love's Travel Stops, CACI International, Northrop Grumman
Based on 138 engineering openings.
- 15
Las Vegas NV
136 openings
- Share of all openings
- 14%
- Median engineering pay
- $123k
- All openings
- 980
Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4
Based on 136 engineering openings.
- 16
Tulsa OK
122 openings
- Share of all openings
- 24%
- Median engineering pay
- $107k
- All openings
- 498
Hiring most here: BOK Financial, Aaon, Helmerich & Payne
Based on 122 engineering openings.
- 17
Grand Prairie TX
94 openings
- Share of all openings
- 46%
- Median engineering pay
- $113k
- All openings
- 204
Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin Services
Based on 94 engineering openings.
- 18
Albuquerque NM
89 openings
- Share of all openings
- 24%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 364
Hiring most here: University of New Mexico-Main Campus, Rocket Lab, Kairos Power
Based on 89 engineering openings.
- 19
Spring TX
86 openings
- Share of all openings
- 25%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 338
Hiring most here: Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP, Juniper Networks
Based on 86 engineering openings.
- 20
Reno NV
70 openings
- Share of all openings
- 23%
- Median engineering pay
- $138k
- All openings
- 311
Hiring most here: IGT, Amperesand, Caesars Entertainment
Based on 70 engineering openings.
- 21
Greenville TX
54 openings
- Share of all openings
- 54%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 100
Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund, L3HARRIS Technologies Integrated Systems L.P.
Based on 54 engineering openings.
- 22
Waco TX
52 openings
- Share of all openings
- 33%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 160
Hiring most here: Baylor University, L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund
Based on 52 engineering openings.
- 23
Sparks NV
49 openings
- Share of all openings
- 40%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 122
Hiring most here: Panasonic Energy North America, Amazon, Fleet
Based on 49 engineering openings.
- 24
Arlington TX
48 openings
- Share of all openings
- 23%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 206
Hiring most here: GM Financial, Lockheed Martin, Texas Health Resources
Based on 48 engineering openings.
- 25
Brownsville TX
47 openings
- Share of all openings
- 43%
- Median engineering pay
- $128k
- All openings
- 110
Hiring most here: Worley Group, Saronic Technologies, Nexstar Media Group
Based on 47 engineering openings.
Full ranking
All 33 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin TX | 1,931 openings | 1,931 |
| 2 | Houston TX | 1,018 openings | 1,018 |
| 3 | Dallas TX | 772 openings | 772 |
| 4 | Phoenix AZ | 692 openings | 692 |
| 5 | Fort Worth TX | 348 openings | 348 |
| 6 | Tucson AZ | 307 openings | 307 |
| 7 | San Antonio TX | 245 openings | 245 |
| 8 | Plano TX | 237 openings | 237 |
| 9 | Irving TX | 199 openings | 199 |
| 10 | Chandler AZ | 179 openings | 179 |
| 11 | Scottsdale AZ | 176 openings | 176 |
| 12 | Richardson TX | 160 openings | 160 |
| 13 | Tempe AZ | 149 openings | 149 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City OK | 138 openings | 138 |
| 15 | Las Vegas NV | 136 openings | 136 |
| 16 | Tulsa OK | 122 openings | 122 |
| 17 | Grand Prairie TX | 94 openings | 94 |
| 18 | Albuquerque NM | 89 openings | 89 |
| 19 | Spring TX | 86 openings | 86 |
| 20 | Reno NV | 70 openings | 70 |
| 21 | Greenville TX | 54 openings | 54 |
| 22 | Waco TX | 52 openings | 52 |
| 23 | Sparks NV | 49 openings | 49 |
| 24 | Arlington TX | 48 openings | 48 |
| 25 | Brownsville TX | 47 openings | 47 |
| 26 | Mesa AZ | 47 openings | 47 |
| 27 | El Paso TX | 44 openings | 44 |
| 28 | Gilbert AZ | 35 openings | 35 |
| 29 | The Woodlands TX | 35 openings | 35 |
| 30 | Midland TX | 33 openings | 33 |
| 31 | Allen TX | 32 openings | 32 |
| 32 | Sherman TX | 31 openings | 31 |
| 33 | Westlake TX | 30 openings | 30 |
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 30 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 in the southwest?
- Austin has the most software and engineering openings in the Southwest: 1,931 openings, in a market where engineering is 24% of openings across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 33 cities have at least 30 engineering openings, so the list has 33 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
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Southwest
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Southwest
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Southwest
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Southwest
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in the Southwest
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs-in-the-southwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs-in-the-southwest">Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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