Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Casper, WY MSA — October 2026
Casper's IT pay splits sharply: infrastructure up, software down.
Network Engineer advertised pay in Casper has climbed to $146,972 against a $115,757 national median, even as Software Engineer pay fell to $77,489, roughly half the national $154,403 figure.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Natrona County unemployment: 2.9% — vs. 4.2% national rate, Sept. 2026
- Network Engineer advertised pay: $146,972 — vs. $115,757 national median
- Oil & gas extraction employment: -26.9% — year-over-year decline, Natrona County
- Wyoming tech wage erosion: -6.62% — inflation-adjusted, 2014-2024, steepest nationally
Key takeaways
Network Engineer pay in Casper now outpaces the national rate.
Metro median advertised pay of $146,972 sits well above the $115,757 national figure, a significant upward move that likely reflects competition for scarce infrastructure talent amid pipeline and data center buildout activity. Benchmark this role against local scarcity alongside national norms.
Software Engineer pay collapse signals a thinning local market.
Metro median pay of $77,489 has dropped significantly and sits roughly half the national figure of $154,403, consistent with Wyoming's broader tech wage erosion and limited local demand for pure development roles. Organizations needing software talent may find better value recruiting remotely than building local teams.
Cybersecurity Analyst demand is repricing faster than supply can follow.
Advertised pay rose significantly to $92,627, still below the $107,327 national median, leaving a gap that could pull Casper-based analysts toward remote roles elsewhere. Retention plans should assume this gap will keep widening as national demand for security talent stays elevated.
Oil and gas contraction is quietly reshaping the local talent pool.
Oil and gas extraction employment fell 26.9% year-over-year while pipeline transportation jobs more than doubled, suggesting displaced technical and operations workers may be entering adjacent fields, including industrial IT and OT support. Watch whether this talent becomes a viable pipeline for infrastructure hiring.
Median advertised pay by role — Casper, WY MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist * | $106,088 | $141,166 | $152,718 | Stable | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator * | $73,101 | $94,323 | $100,000 | Moderate increase | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer * | $81,188 | $146,972 | $161,372 | Significant increase | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $59,691 | $77,489 | $93,750 | Significant decline | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist | $43,221 | $50,932 | $53,033 | Stable | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst * | $73,035 | $92,627 | $106,943 | Significant increase | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager * | $105,169 | $127,159 | $134,591 | Significant increase | $118,150 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Natrona County's unemployment rate held at 2.9% in September, well below the national 4.2% rate, while nonfarm employment fell for a fifth straight month as oil and gas extraction losses (-26.9% year-over-year) continue to drag on the broader labor pool. Wyoming's structural worker shortage — the state projects 6,000 more jobs than available workers by 2027 — compounds an already thin local IT talent base that officials estimate at fewer than 1,000 tech professionals statewide.
What it means
Advertised pay movements in Casper point to a market repricing infrastructure and security skills sharply upward (Network Engineer +significant, Cybersecurity Analyst +significant) while Software Engineer pay has fallen well below national levels, suggesting local demand for application development talent has softened even as operational and security roles tighten. Combined with Wyoming's decade-long inflation-adjusted tech wage decline, this divergence makes local hiring for infrastructure and security roles increasingly uncompetitive against remote or managed-service alternatives. Consider evaluating which infrastructure and security functions require Casper-based headcount versus which could shift to managed services or hybrid remote arrangements to access scarcer, higher-cost skill sets without inflating fixed local payroll.
Looking ahead
Expected data release: October unemployment figures for Natrona County and Wyoming publish November 23. Watch whether the 2.9%-3.0% range holds or tightens further as oil and gas losses continue.
Emerging pressure point: Wyoming's projected gap of 6,000 jobs against 3,000 fewer workers by 2027 suggests local infrastructure and support hiring will face mounting friction. Expect build-vs-buy conversations to accelerate for roles outside cybersecurity and network engineering.
Worth watching: Pipeline transportation employment grew 110% year-over-year in Natrona County, a sign of sustained energy infrastructure investment that could spill into demand for OT security and industrial control system support roles.
Potential inflection point: National tech layoffs have already exceeded 133,000 workers through late October, a pool that could include remote-capable specialists willing to consider lower-cost Wyoming-based arrangements if compensation gaps narrow even modestly.
Sources
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Natrona County unemployment rate at 2.9% in September 2026
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Oil and gas extraction employment fell 26.9% year-over-year in Natrona County
- Wyoming IT labor market research — Wyoming tech salaries declined 6.62% inflation-adjusted from 2014-2024
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Wyoming projects 6,000 more jobs than available workers by 2027
- Wyoming Department of Workforce Services — Pipeline transportation jobs in Natrona County grew 110.4% year-over-year
- Tech layoff tracking data — 133,417 tech employees laid off at 325 companies through Oct. 21, 2026
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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