The Houston area can help wave Texas’ newly hoisted flag representing its status as the best state for tech workers.
A new study by IT service automation company SysAid analyzed several factors that affect a state’s desirability for tech workers, such as average internet speed and coverage, number of available tech jobs, and average industry salary compared with the state average. When all the data was tallied, Texas came out on top.
Here are a couple of data points that helped push Texas to the No. 1 position:
- 31,110 tech jobs are available in the state, demonstrating significant demand for tech workers.
- The typical tech salary is $103,370, more than double the state’s typical salary of $50,490.
As home to a bevy of tech companies like BMC Software, FlightAware, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HighRadius, and NetIQ, the Houston area certainly contributes to the state’s No. 1 standing. According to a report released in 2021 by the Greater Houston Partnership and Houston Exponential, the more than 8,800 tech-related businesses in the region help generate $28.1 billion in local GDP.
Statewide, the tech sector pumps $142.8 billion into the economy, according to a recent report from CompTIA, a trade group for the tech industry.
Ranked behind Texas in the SysAid study are four states viewed as tech rivals:
- California, No. 2.
- New York, No. 3.
- Virginia, No. 4.
- Florida, No. 5.
“Jobs in tech and IT are becoming more in demand, with typically high salaries making the jobs desirable and free courses in coding making the industry more accessible. The data reveals that it is easier in some states to work in tech than others, with demand and salaries varying massively between states,” SysAid says. “Texas tops our list as the best state to work in tech, and it is fascinating to see that California, home to Silicon Valley, is not [at the] top.”
The CompTIA report shows nearly 791,000 people work in Texas’ tech sector. Texas ranks first among all the states for the number of tech jobs (10,851) added in 2021 and second for the size of its tech workforce (behind California). Texas also ranks second, behind Florida, for the number of tech businesses (1,807) launched in 2021.
CompTIA projects Texas will rank second this year, behind California, for the number of tech jobs added (21,303).
“Unlike other would-be innovation hubs, [Texas] has been quietly nurturing high-tech industry for decades. If Texas eventually rivals California, the consequences could be momentous, not just for industry, but for U.S. politics,” according to a Bloomberg opinion piece published in 2021.