Break the Code

How software salaries measure up across tech-savvy Texas cities

Flatiron School has graduated thousands of students since its founding in 2012. Photo courtesy of WeWork

Texas may not have the tech reputation of Silicon Valley or Seattle, but it's definitely making strides. Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio are rapidly growing into tech hubs, and the Lone Star State should absolutely make the shortlist if you're seeking a well-paying software engineer position.

According to job and salary websites Indeed and Glassdoor, both entry-level and senior-level software engineering salaries are competitive throughout the state. Web developer jobs in Texas are projected to grow 20 percent — compared to the national average of 15 percent — between 2016 and 2026.

Austin leads both levels in overall salary, but it's important to keep in mind that cost of living there is higher as well. Entry-level employees can expect to make an average of $69,342 while senior staffers can climb to $121,302.

Dallas is next, with junior workers bringing in $68,314 and senior developers making an average of $115, 212. Houston and San Antonio are pretty similar, offering engineers who are just starting out an average of $64,194 (H-town) and $65,596 (Alamo City) and more experienced workers $114,686 and $111,369, respectively.

Houston is the most populous city in Texas — and the fourth most in the nation — and that increases the demand for tech talent. While the city lost jobs in 2018, the number of tech job postings actually increased 140 percent year-over-year, based on a report by CompTIA. Software engineer/web developer employment increased 2.1 percent year-over-year in the same report, and are projected to grow 5.9 percent between 2018 and 2026.

Need to brush up your skills, or wondering how to break into the industry? Flatiron School, WeWork's coding school, helps people pivot into tech careers. Flatiron School's on-campus and online immersive courses have a proven track record of impressive employment outcomes and include dedicated career coaching, employment support, and a money-back guarantee (see terms here). Some of its Texas grads have gotten jobs at JP Morgan Chase, National Oilwell Varco (NOV), iland Cloud, ScaleFactor, and Infosys.

Since its founding in 2012, Flatiron School has graduated thousands of students. Its software engineering and data science immersive programs each run for 15 weeks, and the school is committed to creating a more inclusive tech culture with the Women Take Tech and Diversity Initiatives. By creating community through conversations, Flatiron School has been able to provide scholarships for women through its partnerships with Lyft, Birchbox, and SeatGeek, as well as for people of color, military families, and the LGBTQ community.

Check out this list of upcoming events held at the WeWork Houston campus at 708 Main St., schedule a campus tour, or apply today.

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Originally expected to raise $150 million, Mercury's latest fund is the largest raised to date. Photo via mercuryfund.com

A Houston venture capital firm has announce big news of its latest fund.

Mercury, founded in 2005 to invest in startups not based in major tech hubs on either coast, closed its latest fund, Mercury Fund V, at an oversubscribed amount of $160 million. Originally expected to raise $150 million, Fund V is the largest fund Mercury has raised to date.

“We are pleased by the substantial support we received for Fund V from both new and existing investors and thank them for placing their confidence in Mercury,” Blair Garrou, co-founder and managing director of Mercury Fund, says in a news release. “Their support is testament to the strength of our team, proven investment strategy, and the compelling opportunities for innovation that exist in cities across America.”

The fund's limited partners include new and existing investors, including endowments at universities, foundations, and family offices. Mercury reports that several of these LPs are based in the central region of the United States where Mercury invests. California law firm Gunderson Dettmer was the fund formation counsel for Mercury.

Fresh closed, Fund V has already made investments in several companies, including:

  • Houston-based RepeatMD, a patient engagement and fintech platform for medical professionals with non-insurance reimbursed services and products
  • Houston and Cheyenne Wyoming-based financial infrastructure tech platform Brassica, which raised its $8 million seed round in April
  • Polco, a Madison, Wisconsin-based polling platform for local governments, school districts, law enforcement, and state agencies
  • Chicago-based MSPbots, a AI-powered process automation platform for small and mid-sized managed service providers

Mercury's investment model is described as "operationally-focused," and the firm works to provide its portfolio companies with the resources needed to grow rapidly and sustainably. Since 2013, the fund has contributed to creating more than $9 billion of enterprise value across its portfolio of over 50 companies.

“Over the past few years there has been a tremendous migration of talent, wealth and know-how to non-coastal venture markets and this surge of economic activity has further accelerated the creation of extraordinary new companies and technology," says Garrou. "As the first venture capital firm to have recognized the attractiveness of these incredible regions a dozen years ago, we are excited to continue sourcing new opportunities to back founders and help these cities continue to grow and thrive.”

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