Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Janesville, WI MSA — October 2026
Janesville infrastructure pay slides as security roles pull ahead.
Network Engineer and Systems Administrator advertised pay fell moderately-to-significantly in the Janesville metro this month even as Cybersecurity Analyst pay climbed to $98,772, a divergence that puts local build-vs-buy decisions for infrastructure talent in sharper focus.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Rock County unemployment: 3.7% — Up from 3.1% in May 2026, still below 4.2% national rate
- Rock County weekly wage growth: 0.5% — vs 4.7% national IT systems wage growth
- Metro Cybersecurity Analyst pay: $98,772 — Up significantly; national median $107,327
- National tech layoffs, 2026 YTD: 133,417 — Already exceeds full-year 2025 total
Key takeaways
Infrastructure pay is falling locally while security pay climbs.
Systems Administrator and Network Engineer advertised pay dropped significantly in the metro this month, while Cybersecurity Analyst pay rose significantly to $98,772. This divergence suggests local employers are reallocating compensation budget toward security risk ahead of general infrastructure upkeep — a signal worth testing against your own headcount mix.
Metro wage stagnation widens the remote-talent gap.
Rock County average weekly wages rose just 0.5% year-over-year against national IT wage growth of 4.7% in systems and solutions roles. Organizations relying on local hires for infrastructure work may find themselves increasingly undercut by remote-eligible national offers, especially given only 2% of Wisconsin tech postings are remote.
Help desk pay decline tracks a broader support-role devaluation.
Help Desk/IT Support Specialist advertised pay fell significantly to $52,000 locally, mirroring a moderate national decline. Current conditions suggest support functions are prime candidates for outsourcing or tiered service models as continued local in-house investment comes under pressure.
Data Scientist and Software Engineer pay has reached a stable equilibrium.
Both roles show stable advertised pay locally and nationally, suggesting these positions have reached an equilibrium price point and are not facing downward pressure. Stability here may reflect employers holding firm on senior technical pay even as adjacent infrastructure roles see cuts.
Median advertised pay by role — Janesville, WI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist * | $92,149 | $124,857 | $142,413 | Stable | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator | $78,676 | $87,373 | $87,500 | Significant decline | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer | $73,414 | $81,797 | $87,500 | Moderate decline | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $142,415 | $142,668 | $143,804 | Stable | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist | $45,000 | $52,000 | $55,980 | Significant decline | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst * | $76,826 | $98,772 | $110,363 | Significant increase | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager * | $94,660 | $119,691 | $130,333 | Stable | $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
Rock County unemployment has climbed to 3.7% in August from a 3.1% low in May, even as the county remains well below national joblessness — a sign of a labor market cooling from a tight position while still holding up relative to the nation. Flat private-sector job growth (up just 0.3% year-over-year) and a 0.5% rise in average weekly wages point to employers holding steady on headcount while national IT wage gains — 4.7% for IT systems and solutions — outpace what Rock County employers appear willing or able to match.
What it means
Metro advertised pay for Systems Administrator and Network Engineer roles is down significantly while national medians for the same roles climb, signaling Janesville-area employers are either under less competitive pressure to raise infrastructure pay or are quietly shifting those functions elsewhere. That divergence raises the build-vs-buy question directly: infrastructure and support roles priced well below national norms may be harder to backfill with local talent if national remote opportunities widen the gap further. Consider reviewing whether current Systems Administrator and Network Engineer pay levels reflect a deliberate regional strategy or an unaddressed retention risk as national rates pull away.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Rock County's unemployment uptick from 3.1% to 3.7% continues into Q4 data releases. A sustained climb would suggest the flat private-sector job growth seen in March is becoming a trend beyond a one-quarter blip.
Emerging pressure point: National tech layoffs have already exceeded 133,000 workers for all of 2026 as of late October. Monitor whether any released talent — particularly in infrastructure or security — begins surfacing in the local candidate pool given Rock County's limited remote-job availability.
Worth watching: Cybersecurity Analyst pay is up significantly both locally and nationally. Track whether this premium persists into November budget planning, which would support reclassifying security hires as a retention priority above a standard req.
Potential inflection point: Wisconsin manufacturing employment is forecast roughly 1.3% below year-ago levels with payroll growth dipping further. A continued pullback in manufacturing — a major driver of Rock County's industrial base — could reduce IT support demand tied to plant operations.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development / USA Facts — Rock County unemployment at 3.7% in August 2026, down from 3.1% low in May
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Private employer job growth flat at 0.3% year-over-year in Rock County
- National labor market research notes — IT systems and solutions wages up 4.7% nationally
- Layoffs tracking data — 133,417 tech layoffs nationally through October 21, 2026
- Wisconsin labor market research notes — Wisconsin manufacturing employment forecast 1.3% below year-ago levels
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Rock County average weekly wage rose 0.5% year-over-year
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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