At the beginning of 2022, it seemed like Texas had a lot of tech-hiring momentum behind it. Dallas, Houston, and Austin were attracting significant amounts of tech-related investment, and companies were moving to the Lone Star State to take advantage of a business-friendly tax code and a sizable pool of tech talent.
As we pass the year’s midpoint, is Texas maintaining that momentum? According to the latest CompTIA tech job report, the answer to that question is a qualified “yes.” In July, companies offered up some 55,235 tech-related job postings in the state, just behind California (64,856) and well ahead of third-place New York (25,089). However, Texas-centric job postings also declined month-over-month. Check out the full chart:
This data sparks a big question: Can Texas continue to attract tech companies (and technologists)? Historical trends seem in its favor: Since 2020, a number of tech giants have erected either a new headquarters or a major facility in the state, including Oracle, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Tesla. But the business of a state government is never done; other states are more than happy to attract tech investment via tax breaks and other favorable policies. Other states also boast their own pipelines of fresh talent from local schools, as well as robust infrastructure for investment and industry networking.
Meanwhile, predictions of California’s demise as a tech hub seem overblown. During the pandemic, many technologists (and tech companies) announced they were leaving the state, tired of high taxes, real estate prices, and what they viewed as excessive regulation. But California’s pull on the nation’s tech industry remains huge, and it’s clear that companies in the state remain hungry for all kinds of tech talent—and that they’re willing to pay big salaries to get it.
