Nice Payoff

Dallas-Fort Worth tech jobs rate among the highest paying in the U.S.

Indeed calculated the average salary for 158 tech occupations in 25 metro areas.

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Dallas-Fort Worth sits in the top 10 among American tech hubs where the paychecks of tech workers stretch the furthest, a new study shows.

The study, conducted by Austin-based job website Indeed, ranks 25 of the country’s tech hubs based on where the average tech worker’s salary is highest when adjusted for the local cost of living. DFW appears at No. 7 on the list, with an identical actual salary and adjusted salary of $101,649.

While DFW ranks seventh overall, it’s in first place for the average adjusted salary of two tech occupations:

Data scientist — $140,000
iOS developer — $125,000

To compile the ranking, Indeed calculated the average salary for 158 tech occupations in 25 metro areas using annual salary information posted on Indeed between August 2016 and July 2017.

The Austin area shows up at No. 3 in the Indeed ranking, with an average actual tech salary of $103,914 and an average tech salary adjusted for cost of living of $103,394. Among the 25 metro areas, Austin ranks first for the average adjusted salary of a front-end developer ($115,578).

In Central Texas, a $100,000 tech job “will get you more bedrooms, avocado toasts, and climbing-gym memberships” than a $100,000 tech job in coastal California, according to Indeed.

The Houston area doesn’t fare as well in the Indeed ranking. There, the average actual tech salary is $97,751, but the average tech salary adjusted for cost of living is $98,631.

At No. 1 on Indeed’s list is Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by Atlanta (No. 2); Austin (No. 3); San Francisco (No. 4); Seattle (No. 5); and San Jose, California (No. 6).

In last place, at No. 25, is Miami-Fort Lauderdale.

“After Charlotte and Atlanta, four leading tech hubs — Austin, San Francisco, Seattle, and San Jose — follow in a near tie for adjusted tech salaries,” Indeed says. “That means that the premiums in those eye-popping San Francisco and Silicon Valley paychecks get entirely wiped out relative to Austin and Seattle when the Bay Area’s high living costs are factored in.”

Indeed adds that while a tech salary goes furthest in Charlotte and Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, and Seattle offer “a richer selection of tech jobs to choose from, with salaries that will stretch nicely.”

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cyber commute

Frisco tops 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most remote workers

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Remote work really is all that and a bag of chips.

North Dallas neighbor Frisco has landed atop a 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most remote workers for the second consecutive year, and an up-and-coming McKinney has surged into the top 10.

The personal finance experts at SmartAsset compared the 357 largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of people who work from home, and additionally calculated the mean commute times for non-remote workers in each city. Remote work prevalence was analyzed using U.S. Census data from 2023-2024.

The findings revealed a third of all employees based in Frisco work remotely, with more than 42,000 remote workers as of 2024. However, the city's remote work prevalence is slightly lower than it was the year before.

"Frisco remains the top city for remote work with 33.7 percent of workers aged 16 and up working from home, despite a slight decline from 34.2 percent a year earlier," the report said.

Frisco residents that don't have the privilege of working remotely spend about 27.3 minutes on average commuting to their workplaces, SmartAsset added. Over 63 percent of Frisco workers drive to their jobs, and less than one percent walk to work.

In McKinney, the prevalence of remote workers in the city surged from 24.2 percent in 2023 to 26.7 percent in 2024. The report additionally found there were 32,798 residents working remotely in McKinney in 2024.

McKinney workers also spend more time commuting than Frisco residents do. The average commute time for in-person work in the city added up to 31.8 minutes. Nearly 70 percent of workers drive to their jobs, and .69 percent report that they walk to work.

Nationally, remote work has declined as more employers push return-to-office mandates, according to SmartAsset. But new reports have indicated these mandates are backfiring as more people seek employment at companies that embrace and prioritize flexible working environments.

"Remote work can open up a lot of opportunities for employees, families, and employers alike," the report's author wrote. "However, shifts into remote work may also cause short-term challenges to some communities – such as loss or redistribution of businesses and services used by commuters."

For remote workers in Dallas-Fort Worth, there's a greater financial incentive to work remote than to commute. An April 2025 U.S. Census Bureau study determined remote workers in the Metroplex earn nearly 51 percent more than their commuting counterparts. Dallas-area remote workers made a median income of $77,000 in 2023, compared to $51,100 for other workers.

"Tradeoffs abound, tracking the evolution of work culture and where the spoils of productivity end up can provide guidance to businesses, politicians, job-seekers, and employers alike," the report said.

The top 10 U.S. cities with the most prevalent remote workforces are:

No. 1 – Frisco, Texas
No. 2 – Berkeley, California
No. 3 – Cary, North Carolina
No. 4 – Boulder, Colorado
No. 5 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 6 – Arlington, Virginia
No. 7 – McKinney, Texas
No. 8 – Fishers, Indiana
No. 9 – Boca Raton, Florida
No. 10 – Carlsbad, California

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