The tech labor market continued to brighten a bit in the third quarter of 2026, as all categories notched job postings gains over the past year. Wage growth picked up dramatically in data & analytics and IT systems & solutions categories. However, workers so far remain stationary as quits rates are still low. 

Indeed job postings 

Table titled “Software Development job postings continue unexpected rebound” showing the percent change in Indeed job postings over the past year and since February 1, 2020, through October 23, 2026, for tech occupational categories. Postings are up in all four categories over the past year, led by software development (23.8%) and IT systems and solutions (12.3%), compared with 3.1% for all postings. Since February 2020, all four remain lower, ranging from -19.2% for software development to -37.6% for data and analytics, while all postings are up 3.7%.
  • Overall US job postings on Indeed remain near pre-pandemic levels; however, the year-over-year trend turned positive for the first time in nearly four years, with job postings up 3.1% in the year to October 23. 
  • Somewhat unexpectedly, considering the concern over AI replacement, tech job categories are contributing to the recent uptick in job postings 
  • Every tech category is up from a year ago, led by software development, but all categories remain well below their early-2020 levels. 

Tech wage growth picks up the pace

Table titled “Tech wage growth rises drastically in several categories” showing year-over-year growth in posted wages, as a 3-month average, through September 2026, along with the percentage-point change over the past six months for four tech occupational categories. IT systems and solutions (4.7%) and data and analytics (4.1%) have the highest wage growth, each up 3.4 percentage points over six months. Software development (2.9%) is down 0.6 points, and IT infrastructure, operations and support (2%) is up 0.3 points.
  • Wage growth for most tech categories is strengthening right along with the trend in job postings.
  • IT systems solutions and data & analytics are leading the way, with wage growth for each climbing over 3 percentage points in the last six months.  
  • Software development wage growth was 2.9% in September, nearly double its rate of 1.5% a year earlier.

Tech workers still hesitant to make moves  

Line graph titled “Tech workers still holding onto current jobs” showing the seasonally adjusted quits rate, in percent, from 2012 through September 2026 for all industries combined, professional and business services, and information, with dashed lines marking each series’ 2019 average of about 2.3%, 3.0% and 1.6%. All three series rose before 2020, peaked in 2021 and 2022 (professional and business services near 3.8%, total near 3.0%), and have since fallen. As of September 2026, the total rate and professional and business services are both about 2%, below their 2019 averages, and information, the most volatile series, is at about 1.4%.
  • Despite some recent strength in tech job postings and wage growth, workers seem content to remain where they are, as low quits rates persist.
  • The professional & business services quits rate registered 2.1% in September 2026, nearly a full percentage point below its 2019 average.
  • The quits rate in the information industry also remains below its 2019 average, despite a recent uptick.