US data
In the October 2026 report, software job postings were 21% below their pre-COVID level and tech unemployment averaged 3.07%. From a year earlier, tech industry jobs were down 1.08% and pay was up 1.0%.
Indeed Hiring LabOct 2026
21% fewer software job postings than before COVID
Compared with February 2020, just before the pandemic: postings were at 79.4% of that level.
DD means 70% to under 85% of the February 2020 level.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics household surveyAug to Oct 2026
3.07%
Tech's usual rate is about 2.5%.
Share of tech workers who want a job and can't find one, averaged over 3 months.
DD means 3.0% to under 3.5%.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs reportOct 2026
2.35 million tech industry jobs
Down 1.08% from a year earlier
FGraded on job growth over the past year: A is up 5% or more, F is fewer jobs than a year ago.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs reportSep 2026
$132,500a year average yearly pay, computer systems design and related services
Up 1.0% from a year earlier
Shown, not gradedAfter inflation: down 2.6%. See pay by role
Letters, changes and yearly pay (hourly earnings times 2,080 hours) are our calculations from US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Indeed Hiring Lab data. Pay source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs report (series CES6054150003) and Consumer Price Index (series CUUR0000SA0).
See this month's numbers →Tough
October 2026 report
Job postings get a D, tech unemployment gets a D and tech industry jobs get an F, so the overall grade is D.
Our calculationHow we grade →
Each of the three cards gets a letter from the fixed cutoffs below. The overall grade is the average of the three letters, and it changes only after two months in a row point the same way.
| Letter | Job postings (% of February 2020 level) | Tech unemployment | Tech industry jobs (vs a year earlier) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 120% or more | under 2.0% | up 5% or more |
| B | 100% to under 120% | 2.0% to under 2.5% | up 3% to under 5% |
| C | 85% to under 100% | 2.5% to under 3.0% | up 1% to under 3% |
| D | 70% to under 85%This month | 3.0% to under 3.5%This month | up 0% to under 1% |
| F | under 70% | 3.5% or more | fewer jobs than a year agoThis month |
The numbers
Each card shows its own latest month. Preliminary values may be revised over the next two months.
Computer and mathematical occupations, not seasonally adjusted
2.8%
October 2026 alone
The top card shows 3.07%, the Aug to Oct 2026 average.
Change: our calculation. A broad group from a small survey, so small moves are often noise.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, household survey, series LNU04034021 (opens in a new tab)
% of February 2020 level, monthly average
79.4%
October 2026
Monthly average and changes: our calculation. Counts postings, not hires.
Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, Job Postings Index, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
Computer systems design and related services
2.35 million
Oct 2026
Changes: our calculation. Counts every employee in the industry, not only developers.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs report, series CES6054150001 (opens in a new tab)
All employees, computer systems design and related services
$132,500
Sep 2026
Hourly earnings times 2,080 hours (40 a week, 52 weeks). Yearly pay and changes: our calculation. Not adjusted for inflation.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs report, series CES6054150003 (opens in a new tab)
Companies that make and sell software
653,800
Sep 2026
Changes: our calculation. Runs one month behind the other jobs numbers.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs report, series CES5051320001 (opens in a new tab)
October 2026 report
This month's report in brief. Each point links to its card.
Flat
Overall grade: D in July 2026, D in October 2026.
See the grade history →2.8%
2.8% in October 2026 (3.07% averaged over Aug to Oct 2026) for computer and math jobs, a broader group than software engineers. We compare it with the same month a year earlier because it isn't adjusted for the seasons.
See the card →+1.0%
Average yearly pay in computer systems design was $132,500 in September 2026: up 1.0% from a year earlier, but down 2.6% after inflation (our calculations). It covers every employee in the industry, not only developers.
See pay by role →79.4%
In October 2026, software job postings on Indeed were at 79.4% of their February 2020 level. It tracks postings, not open jobs or hires.
See the chart →Over time
One letter per month. Before February 2020, when postings data starts, the grade uses only tech unemployment and tech industry jobs.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| 2007 | B | B | B | B | A | A | A | B | B | B | B | B |
| 2008 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | C | D |
| 2009 | D | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F |
| 2010 | F | F | F | F | F | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| 2011 | D | D | D | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| 2012 | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| 2013 | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | D | D | D | D | D |
| 2014 | D | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | B | B | B |
| 2015 | B | B | B | B | B | A | A | B | B | B | B | B |
| 2016 | B | C | C | B | B | B | B | B | C | C | C | C |
| 2017 | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| 2018 | C | C | C | C | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| 2019 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B |
| 2020 | C | C | C | C | D | F | F | F | F | F | F | D |
| 2021 | C | C | C | B | B | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| 2022 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | B | B |
| 2023 | B | B | B | B | C | C | C | C | C | D | D | D |
| 2024 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | F | F | D | D |
| 2025 | D | D | D | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F |
| 2026 | F | F | F | F | F | F | D | D | D | D |
Source: our calculation from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data (series LNU04034021 and CES6054150001) and Indeed Hiring Lab, Job Postings Index (CC BY 4.0). Chart by Amplify Tech Labs.
Job search grade, January 2006 to October 2026
Monthly rate (line) and change vs the same month a year earlier (bars)
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, household survey, series LNU04034021. Bars: our calculation. Chart by Amplify Tech Labs.
| Month | Rate | Vs a year earlier (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | No data (federal shutdown) | n/a |
| Nov 2025 | 4.0% | +1.5 pt |
| Dec 2025 | 3.3% | +1.3 pt |
| Jan 2026 | 3.6% | +0.7 pt |
| Feb 2026 | 3.8% | +0.5 pt |
| Mar 2026 | 3.9% | +0.8 pt |
| Apr 2026 | 3.5% | 0.0 pt |
| May 2026 | 3.1% | −0.3 pt |
| Jun 2026 | 2.9% | +0.1 pt |
| Jul 2026 | 2.8% | −0.1 pt |
| Aug 2026 | 3.1% | +0.1 pt |
| Sep 2026 | 3.3% | −0.6 pt |
| Oct 2026 | 2.8% | n/a (needs Oct 2025) |
% of February 2020 level, monthly average of daily values
Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, Job Postings Index (github.com/hiring-lab/job_postings_tracker), CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Monthly averages and chart by Amplify Tech Labs.
| Month | Software Development | Data & Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.9 | 59.1 |
| Nov 2025 | 66.2 | 59.8 |
| Dec 2025 | 66.9 | 59.1 |
| Jan 2026 | 68.1 | 59.3 |
| Feb 2026 | 70.3 | 61.5 |
| Mar 2026 | 71.6 | 62.1 |
| Apr 2026 | 72.8 | 62.6 |
| May 2026 | 74.1 | 62.3 |
| Jun 2026 | 73.1 | 61.3 |
| Jul 2026 | 75.0 | 62.1 |
| Aug 2026 | 74.4 | 60.3 |
| Sep 2026 | 77.1 | 61.6 |
| Oct 2026 | 79.4 | 63.2 |
Pay by role
Base pay in May 2025, all US industries, from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation pay survey. No bonus or equity. Updated each spring. The survey has no pay by seniority or programming language, and it advises against comparing one year with the next.
| Role | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 | $148,100 | 1,687,890 |
| Data scientists | $85,660 | $120,230 | $158,880 | $126,800 | 262,440 |
| Database administrators | $79,610 | $104,620 | $135,460 | $110,090 | 69,990 |
| Software QA analysts and testers | $80,310 | $104,300 | $133,180 | $111,490 | 186,740 |
| Web and digital interface designers | $73,290 | $104,000 | $158,820 | $117,490 | 113,330 |
| Computer programmers | $75,850 | $100,390 | $130,680 | $105,170 | 92,230 |
| Network and computer systems administrators | $78,010 | $99,130 | $126,640 | $103,680 | 314,340 |
| Web developers | $64,230 | $92,650 | $126,230 | $98,770 | 70,190 |
Employment excludes the self-employed. "Design" means web and digital interface designers, the closest official occupation. Percentiles show the spread of pay, not seniority.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation pay survey, May 2025 national estimates
Tables
| Measure | Latest | Period | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||
| Job search gradeOur calculation | D, Tough | Oct 2026 | Up from F |
| Job seekers | |||
| Tech unemployment rateComputer and mathematical occupations, not seasonally adjusted | 2.8% | Oct 2026 | Not available |
| Hiring demand | |||
| Software job postings on Indeed% of the February 2020 level, monthly average | 79.4% | Oct 2026 | +14.5 points |
| Data and analytics job postings on Indeed% of the February 2020 level, monthly average | 63.2% | Oct 2026 | +4.1 points |
| Job openings at information companies1Covers publishing, telecom and media too | 116,000P | Sep 2026 | −2.5% |
| Job openings at professional and business services companies (for context)1 | 1,310,000P | Sep 2026 | +3.4% |
| Tech jobs | |||
| Tech industry jobsComputer systems design and related services | 2,354,100P | Oct 2026 | −1.08% |
| Jobs at software publishersCompanies that make and sell software | 653,800P | Sep 2026 | −1.1% |
| Jobs at computing infrastructure and web hosting companiesCloud and hosting companies | 454,800P | Oct 2026 | −5.4% |
| Pay | |||
| Average yearly pay (full-time equivalent)2All employees in computer systems design and related services | $132,500P | Sep 2026 | +1.0% |
| Average yearly wage3Private employers, computer systems design and related services | $183,600 | Q1 2026 | −3.1% |
P Preliminary. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics may revise it over the next two months.
1 This survey swings a lot from month to month, so compare it with a year earlier.
2 Hourly pay times 2,080 full-time hours. Our calculation.
3 Average weekly wage times 52, rounded to the nearest $100. A quarterly census of private employers, a different survey from yearly pay.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics (monthly; weekly wage quarterly) and Indeed Hiring Lab (daily, shown as monthly averages). Changes, averages and the grade are our calculations.
Last 13 months of the charted series. "Not out yet" means the US Bureau of Labor Statistics hasn't published that month.
Swipe the table for more columns
| Month | Tech unemployment (not seasonally adjusted) | Indeed Software Development | Indeed Data & Analytics | Tech industry jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | No data (federal shutdown) | 64.9 | 59.1 | 2.38 million |
| Nov 2025 | 4.0% | 66.2 | 59.8 | 2.38 million |
| Dec 2025 | 3.3% | 66.9 | 59.1 | 2.38 million |
| Jan 2026 | 3.6% | 68.1 | 59.3 | 2.37 million |
| Feb 2026 | 3.8% | 70.3 | 61.5 | 2.38 million |
| Mar 2026 | 3.9% | 71.6 | 62.1 | 2.37 million |
| Apr 2026 | 3.5% | 72.8 | 62.6 | 2.37 million |
| May 2026 | 3.1% | 74.1 | 62.3 | 2.37 million |
| Jun 2026 | 2.9% | 73.1 | 61.3 | 2.37 million |
| Jul 2026 | 2.8% | 75.0 | 62.1 | 2.36 million |
| Aug 2026 | 3.1% | 74.4 | 60.3 | 2.36 million |
| Sep 2026 | 3.3% | 77.1 | 61.6 | 2.35 million |
| Oct 2026 | 2.8% | 79.4 | 63.2 | 2.35 million |
Read with care
What each number does and doesn't cover.
We chose round-number cutoffs after looking at 2006 to 2026 data. They don't change from month to month, so a D means the same thing every month.
Monthly job counts are by industry, not job title. They count everyone at software and IT services firms, including sales and HR, and miss developers at banks and other non-tech employers.
The unemployment rate covers all computer and math jobs together and comes from a small survey sample. Compare it with a year earlier, not last month.
Pay by role comes from a once-a-year survey for May, published about 10 to 11 months later. Base pay only, and not meant for year-to-year comparisons.
The two latest months of jobs data are preliminary, and the whole series is revised each February. We update past figures and the grade history when that happens.
A posting can stay up after the job is filled, and one job can be posted more than once.
Methodology
Every number comes from a public source. Every step we add is listed here, and the CSV has every value.
We answer with one letter from A to F, not an official statistic. Anyone can rebuild it from the CSV.
We count A as 4, B as 3, C as 2, D as 1 and F as 0, average the cards, and take the nearest letter. With two cards, an exact half goes to the lower letter.
The grade changes only when this month and last month are both better than the current grade, or both worse. It then moves to the closer of the two letters. One unusual month never moves it.
We grade the latest month with both tech unemployment and tech industry jobs published. Postings count once we have at least 21 days of that month.
Without postings (before February 2020, while Indeed data isn't used, or before a month has 21 days), we average tech unemployment and tech industry jobs. If one of those is missing, we average the other two cards. With fewer than two cards, there is no grade that month. The unemployment average needs at least 2 of its 3 months. There is no October 2025 rate (federal shutdown), so October to December 2025 use 2 months. If the grade would move more than one letter, a person checks the data before it is published.
We compare the overall grade with the grade three months earlier: a higher letter is Better, a lower one is Worse, the same letter is Flat. With no grade three months earlier, we show no trend.
The grade runs back to January 2006. Past grades use today's revised data.
Pay moves months after hiring, and the average can rise when junior roles are cut.
The grade turns later than postings: in 2023 it reached D in October. The 3-month average smooths only part of the seasonal swing in unemployment. Postings data starts in February 2020, so its cutoffs rest on one market cycle; we will review them if Indeed changes its index.
Jobs and earnings count everyone at a firm, whatever their job. Only the unemployment rate is by occupation (all computer and math jobs). There is no monthly data by job title.
The unemployment rate is not seasonally adjusted, so we compare it only with a year earlier. Jobs, earnings and openings are seasonally adjusted.
We always show the latest values, log every revision to a number we already published, and recompute the grade history after the February update.
Indeed publishes a daily, seasonally adjusted number, smoothed over 7 days. We average it to calendar months.
No October 2025 household survey data was collected (federal shutdown). That month shows as a gap, never zero, and any change that needs it shows n/a, including the year-over-year change for October 2026. Future gaps follow the same rule.
When an industry is regrouped, we keep the old and new numbers in the download and note the break here (software publishers, 2022). We never join them without saying so.
Changes, 3-month averages, monthly Indeed averages, yearly pay, the after-inflation change, the card letters and the grade are our calculations. The CSV marks these rows amplify_calculation.
The 25th and 75th percentiles are published by the occupation pay survey, not calculated by us.
Each month we check our figures by hand against the CompTIA Tech Jobs Report. CompTIA's numbers are not on this page or in the CSV.
| Metric | Series ID | Program | Cadence and lag | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech unemployment rate (computer and mathematical occupations) | LNU04034021 (opens in a new tab) | Household survey (CPS), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, about 1 week | Not seasonally adjusted |
| Tech industry jobs, computer systems design (5415) | CES6054150001 (opens in a new tab) | Jobs report (CES), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, about 1 week | Seasonally adjusted |
| Average hourly earnings, all employees (5415), shown as a yearly amount | CES6054150003 (opens in a new tab) | Jobs report (CES), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, 1 month behind | Seasonally adjusted |
| Consumer Price Index, all items, U.S. city average | CUUR0000SA0 (opens in a new tab) | Consumer Price Index, US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly | Not seasonally adjusted |
| Tech industry jobs, software publishers (513210) | CES5051320001 (opens in a new tab) | Jobs report (CES), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, 1 month behind | Seasonally adjusted |
| Tech industry jobs, computing infrastructure (518) | CES5051800001 (opens in a new tab) | Jobs report (CES), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, about 1 week | Seasonally adjusted |
| Job openings at information companies | JTS510000000000000JOL (opens in a new tab) | Job openings survey (JOLTS), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, 5 to 6 weeks | Seasonally adjusted |
| Job openings at professional and business services companies | JTS540099000000000JOL (opens in a new tab) | Job openings survey (JOLTS), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Monthly, 5 to 6 weeks | Seasonally adjusted |
| Unemployment rate, software developers / QA analysts and testers (used in the FAQ) | LNU04096716 (opens in a new tab) / LNU04096717 (opens in a new tab) | Household survey (CPS), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Annual (January) | Not seasonally adjusted |
| Pay by role (8 occupations) | In the CSV | Occupation pay survey (OEWS), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Annual (May), about 10 to 11 months | n/a |
| Average weekly wage, computer systems design and related services (private 5415) | QCEW industry 5415, computer systems design and related services, private, US total (opens in a new tab) | Quarterly wage census (QCEW), US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Quarterly, 5 to 6 months | Not seasonally adjusted |
| Software Development and Data & Analytics postings | job_postings_by_sector_US.csv (opens in a new tab) | Indeed Hiring Lab | Daily, refreshed weekly; shown as monthly average | % of February 2020 level, seasonally adjusted |
We compile this page from public data. Each figure keeps its source's terms.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics: the monthly jobs report, household survey, job openings survey, occupation pay survey, Consumer Price Index and quarterly wage census (series IDs in the table above and in the CSV). Retrieved Nov 6, 2026 from its Public Data API (the quarterly wage census on Nov 5, 2026 from its open data files). BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Indeed Hiring Lab: Job Postings Index, Software Development and Data & Analytics sectors, from github.com/hiring-lab/job_postings_tracker, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Changes: we averaged daily index values to monthly figures and calculated changes.
Changes, averages, yearly pay, the job search grade and the summary are Amplify Tech Labs calculations, not official figures.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor and Indeed do not sponsor or endorse this page or Amplify Tech Labs.
Use our data: Download the CSV. Our compilation, calculations and notes are CC BY 4.0: credit "Amplify Tech Labs, US Software Engineer Job Market" and link to this page. Government data is public domain. Indeed data stays under Indeed Hiring Lab's CC BY 4.0 license, so keep its credit.
FAQ
Short answers from the numbers above. Each one updates with the monthly release.
The US software engineer job market is tough: the job search grade is D. In our October 2026 report, software job postings were 21% below their pre-COVID level (a D), tech unemployment averaged 3.07% (a D) and tech industry jobs were down 1.08% from a year earlier (an F). The grade, letters and changes are our calculations.
Tough, by our measure. The October 2026 job search grade is D (our calculation), the average of a D for job postings (79.4% of the February 2020 level), a D for tech unemployment (3.07%) and an F for tech industry jobs (down 1.08% from a year earlier). The cutoffs are in How We Calculate These Numbers.
We don't forecast. In October 2026 our job search grade was D, Tough (a D for job postings, a D for tech unemployment and an F for tech industry jobs), and it has been flat over the last three months. From a year earlier, tech unemployment was no year-earlier comparison and tech industry jobs were 1.08% lower. The grade and changes are our calculations.
In May 2025, 1,687,890 people worked as software developers in the US, plus 186,740 QA analysts and testers (US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation pay survey). In October 2026, tech industry jobs were 1.08% lower than a year earlier (our calculation). We don't forecast; for ten-year projections, see the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab). This data can't separate the effect of AI from interest rates, budgets or anything else.
Average yearly pay in computer systems design was $132,500 in September 2026: up 1.0% from a year earlier, but down 2.6% after inflation (our calculations from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data). That covers every employee in the industry, not only developers. Software developers' median base pay was $135,980 in May 2025. That figure comes out once a year and isn't meant for year-to-year comparisons. See Pay by Role for QA, data and design roles.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has no monthly count for software engineers. Its closest figure is an annual rate: 3.3% for software developers and 7.1% for QA analysts and testers in 2025 (household survey). The samples are small, so treat these as rough. The monthly rate on this page, 2.8% in October 2026, covers all computer and math jobs. The 2025 averages leave out October 2025, when no household survey data was collected because of the federal shutdown.
Updates
Every value on this page, with its source, period and license. Rows we calculate are marked.
Past versions are kept as CSV files.
Amplify Tech Labs, US Software Engineer Job Market, updated Nov 6, 2026, amplifytechlabs.com/software-engineer-job-market
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