February 2026 Tech Hiring Update: Signs of Momentum in Key Tech Hubs

While the broader U.S. employment headlines in February painted a mixed picture, the technology sector quietly delivered encouraging signals for both employers and tech professionals. The US lost 92,000 jobs in February, compared to a gain of 130,000 in January. In the tech sector, we saw positive job growth of 5,100 jobs in February.

According to the latest data from CompTIA, technology employment continued to grow in February, supported by rising demand for technical talent and a noticeable increase in job postings across several major tech markets.

Tech Employment Continues to Expand

Analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the tech sector added approximately 5,100 jobs in February. Growth was driven largely by IT services, custom software development, and systems design, which collectively added roughly 5,900 new roles.

Overall, more than 5.2 million people are now employed by technology companies in the United States, spanning both technical and business functions.

Even more encouraging: tech occupations across all industries grew by 60,000 jobs, reflecting the continued digitization of businesses across healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing.

Despite a slight uptick in unemployment to 3.8% for tech occupations, the rate remains well below the national unemployment rate, underscoring the resilience of tech talent demand.

Job Postings Signal Strong Hiring Intent

One of the strongest indicators of future hiring activity is job postings—and February saw a significant increase.

Active employer job postings for tech occupations rose 9% month-over-month, reaching 505,045 open roles nationwide. Employers added more than 230,000 new postings during the month, suggesting companies are continuing to invest in technology talent despite broader economic uncertainty.

The most in-demand roles include:

• Software developers and engineers

• Systems engineers

• Cybersecurity engineers and analysts

• Artificial intelligence engineers

• Technical support specialists

  
  

These trends align with what many hiring managers are experiencing on the ground: ongoing demand for engineering, cloud, AI, and security expertise.

Austin Leading Job Posting Growth

Among major metro markets, Austin stood out as one of the fastest-growing tech hiring markets, with job postings increasing 18% from January to February.

Austin continues to benefit from a combination of startup activity, enterprise tech expansion, and ongoing relocation of technology teams from higher-cost markets. Companies across software, fintech, and infrastructure continue to scale engineering teams in the region.

Dallas: A Growing Enterprise Tech Hub

Dallas remains one of the strongest enterprise technology markets in the country. While not highlighted in the top growth metros for February, the region continues to see steady demand driven by:

• Financial services technology

• Telecommunications

• Cloud infrastructure

• Corporate IT transformation initiatives

  
  

The Dallas–Fort Worth metro has become a magnet for companies building large-scale engineering, DevOps, and cybersecurity teams, particularly within Fortune 500 organizations and high-growth SaaS firms.

Denver’s Tech Ecosystem Remains Active

In Denver, hiring momentum remains steady as the region continues to attract both startups and established tech firms.

Denver’s tech market has built a strong reputation in areas such as:

• Cloud infrastructure

• SaaS platforms

• Data engineering

• AI and machine learning

• Cybersecurity

  
  

The city’s growing startup ecosystem, combined with an influx of remote-first and distributed companies establishing local hubs, continues to support demand for experienced engineers, product leaders, and data professionals.