Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Morristown, TN MSA — October 2026
Morristown IT pay climbs as technical talent stays scarce
Local Software Engineer pay has hit $166,018 — ahead of the $154,403 national median — even as Hamblen County unemployment holds at 3.7% and statewide IT job growth sits at just 2.69%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Hamblen County unemployment: 3.7% — vs 3.60% MSA (July), 4.2% national
- Software Engineer advertised pay (metro): $166,018 — Up significantly; exceeds $154,403 national median
- Statewide IT occupation growth: 2.69% — Below TN average job growth; +2,069 jobs statewide
- National tech layoffs (YTD Oct 2026): 133,417 — 325 companies; already exceeds all of 2025
Key takeaways
Software Engineer pay has pulled ahead of the national rate.
Metro median of $166,018 against a national median of $154,403 is unusual for a manufacturing-anchored secondary market and points to a small, contested pool of developer talent amid limited broad tech-sector expansion locally. IT leaders competing for this role should expect to benchmark against national tech-hub rates, accounting for the gap with regional averages.
Network Engineer wage growth signals infrastructure investment pressure.
Metro pay is up significantly, even though the dollar figure ($94,094) still trails the national median by over $21,000. This gap-with-momentum pattern is consistent with employers upgrading plant and facility network infrastructure and competing locally for a narrow talent pool, with local pay still building toward national levels.
Cybersecurity and systems administration pay lag may reflect sourcing strategy.
Cybersecurity Analyst ($89,988) and Systems Administrator ($85,422) metro pay sit well below national medians while remaining stable, suggesting these functions are more likely filled through remote hires, managed security providers, or outsourced IT, with demand continuing alongside this sourcing pattern. Current wage gaps may widen the case for hybrid or outsourced staffing models for security and administration work.
Statewide IT job growth of 2.69% understates local competitive pressure.
Tennessee's slow computer-and-mathematical occupation growth masks sharper local wage movement in Software Engineer and Network Engineer roles, implying Morristown employers are bidding up pay for a fixed or shrinking supply of technical workers even as regional labor supply growth stays limited.
Median advertised pay by role — Morristown, TN MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist * | $111,900 | $138,170 | $157,500 | Stable | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator * | $71,551 | $85,422 | $93,966 | Stable | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer | $76,932 | $94,094 | $117,183 | Significant increase | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $87,360 | $166,018 | $183,071 | Significant increase | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist * | $40,803 | $50,533 | $55,120 | Moderate decline | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst * | $78,415 | $89,988 | $101,715 | Stable | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager * | $78,110 | $108,595 | $122,848 | Moderate 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
Hamblen County's 3.7% unemployment rate and a manufacturing base covering roughly a quarter of the local workforce leave little slack for IT hiring, even as statewide computer and mathematical occupations are projected to grow just 2.69% through the decade. Local Software Engineer and Network Engineer pay are both posting significant upward movement this month, a signal that employers are competing hard for a thin bench of technical talent even as broad-based demand growth remains limited.
What it means
Tight local labor supply combined with manufacturing's dominance of the Morristown economy means IT leaders cannot count on organic hiring to scale infrastructure, security, or support functions — the same low-hire, low-fire dynamic constraining Tennessee's broader IT market applies here, likely more acutely given the metro's smaller talent pool. Rising advertised pay for Software Engineer ($166,018, significantly above the national median of $154,403) and Network Engineer roles suggests local employers are already paying a premium to secure scarce technical skill, while Systems Administrator and Cybersecurity Analyst pay sit well below national medians, pointing to either softer local demand or reliance on remote/hybrid staffing to fill those functions. Consider reviewing whether security and systems administration roles are being filled locally versus through remote or managed-service arrangements, since the pay gap versus national medians may reflect a geographic arbitrage opportunity alongside demand that remains solid.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Manufacturing employment slipped 1.7% statewide over the past year even as firms like Siemens Healthineers and Sam Dong announce local expansions; watch whether these investments translate into IT and engineering-support hiring in Hamblen County specifically.
Emerging pressure point: National tech layoffs have already exceeded 133,000 workers through October, concentrated in large tech hubs, with manufacturing-adjacent metros like Morristown largely insulated so far. Monitor whether any released remote-capable talent begins appearing in the local candidate pool, which could ease pressure on Software Engineer and Network Engineer pay.
Potential inflection point: TNTalent's $5M state investment targets AI infrastructure and advanced manufacturing skills; watch for program rollout details that could shape local training pipelines for infrastructure and security roles over the next two quarters.
Early indicator: October MSA unemployment data has not yet been released by BLS, with the most current figure (3.60%, July 2026) likely understating current tightness given Hamblen County's subsequent 3.7% reading. Expect the next data release to confirm continued tightening relevant to budget and headcount planning for Q1 2027.
Sources
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Hamblen County unemployment rate of 3.7% in July 2026
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development — Computer and mathematical occupations projected to grow 2.69% statewide
- Layoffs tracking aggregator (industry reporting) — 133,417 tech employees laid off at 325 companies through Oct 21, 2026
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development — TNTalent program launched with $5M federal funding for AI infrastructure training
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Morristown MSA unemployment at 3.60% most recent reading, July 2026
- Hamblen County economic development data — Manufacturing represents over 24% of Hamblen County's total workforce
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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