Texas contract developer ratesNo income tax
What contract developers cost in Texas (TX), by stack and occupation, plus cost of living, state tax and LLC costs for contractors.
Texas has about 241,030 people working in the six core IT occupations BLS tracks, a median software developer salary of $132,150 (-2.8% against the US median), and estimated contract developer rates of $83–102/hr. With no state income tax, Texas is attractive for independent contractors and LLC-based consultants.
Contract rates by stack in Texas
US stack rates adjusted to Texas developer wages.
| Stack | Texas rate | US rate | W-2 equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python | $85–105 | $88–108 | $136,300 |
| AWS | $91–112 | $93–115 | $145,000 |
| Java | $85–105 | $88–108 | $136,300 |
| .NET | $75–92 | $77–94 | $119,300 |
| Kubernetes | $96–118 | $99–121 | $153,500 |
| C++ | $80–98 | $82–101 | $127,900 |
| Docker | $88–108 | $90–111 | $140,700 |
| React | $85–105 | $88–108 | $136,300 |
| Terraform | $98–121 | $101–124 | $157,200 |
| TypeScript | $85–105 | $88–108 | $136,300 |
Each stack's US W-2 benchmark is scaled by Texas's BLS software developer median ($132,150) divided by the US median ($135,980), a factor of 0.97, then multiplied by 1.3–1.6 for contractor tax, benefits and overhead.
The 10 stacks with the most US job postings in the last 30 days. Rates are per hour, C2C or 1099. All stacks · Rate calculator
IT wages by occupation in Texas
| Occupation | Employment | Mean salary | Est. contract rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 163,880 | $136,450 | $85–105 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 34,840 | $104,900 | $66–81 |
| Information Security Analysts | 16,130 | $130,710 | $82–101 |
| Computer Network Architects | 13,650 | $134,820 | $84–104 |
| Computer Programmers | 7,620 | $100,740 | $63–77 |
| Web Developers | 4,910 | $95,560 | $60–74 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Contract rate = mean hourly wage × 1.3–1.6. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the estimate for this state.
Business environment for contractors
No state income tax. Franchise tax on LLCs over $2.47M revenue.
Federal IT contracts: FY2025 federal contract awards performed in the state under NAICS 5415 (computer systems design and related services). High-spending states usually have more cleared and government-adjacent contract work.
Tech hub metros
| Metro area | Cost of living | vs US |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 103.1 | +3.1% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 97.2 | -2.8% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 96.8 | -3.2% |
Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2022). 100 = national average.