I collected salary data from DFW tech workers, public sources, and my professional network. Here is where DFW stands compared to other Texas metros and remote roles.
Software Engineering (2026, total comp including equity/bonus):
| Level | DFW | Austin | Houston | Remote (US) | |-------|-----|--------|---------|-------------| | Junior (0-2 yrs) | $75-95K | $85-110K | $70-90K | $80-100K | | Mid (3-5 yrs) | $110-150K | $130-170K | $100-140K | $120-160K | | Senior (5-8 yrs) | $150-200K | $170-230K | $140-185K | $160-220K | | Staff (8+ yrs) | $190-280K | $220-320K | $175-250K | $200-300K |
Why DFW pays less than Austin:
- Austin has Apple, Google, Meta, Tesla, and dozens of VC-funded startups. DFW has enterprise companies that pay well but not at FAANG levels.
- Cost of living gap is narrowing. Austin is no longer cheap. A comparable house in Austin costs 15-25% more than DFW.
Where DFW wins:
- No state income tax (same as all Texas metros, but vs. remote roles that might be taxed in CA/NY)
- Cost of living is lower than Austin for comparable neighborhoods
- Housing: median home price in DFW metro is ~$380K vs. Austin ~$450K. Source: Zillow 2026 data.
- DFW has more Fortune 500 HQs than any US metro except NYC. Source: Fortune.
DFW companies that pay best:
- Goldman Sachs (Richardson) — Competes with NYC comp for engineering
- Capital One (Plano) — Strong TC including bonus
- Toyota (Plano) — Stable, solid benefits, below-market base but great total comp
- Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth) — Below market but clearance premium and benefits are insane
Sources:
- Levels.fyi — verified salary data for DFW metro
- Glassdoor — salary estimates cross-referenced
- Zillow — DFW vs Austin home price comparison
- Fortune 500 — headquarter locations
- Personal network (50+ DFW tech professionals)
Goldman in Richardson pays surprisingly well. My friend is a senior engineer there making $230K TC. That is Bay Area money with DFW cost of living.