Labor Market Pulse · Information Technology · October 2026
Information Technology Labor Market Report: Rome, GA MSA — October 2026
Rome's IT pay splits: security climbs, software and support slide.
Cybersecurity Analyst pay rose significantly to $95,570 in Rome while Software Engineer pay fell to $120,219, even as metro unemployment edged up to 3.4%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Rome metro unemployment rate: 3.4% — Up from 3.3% in August; still below 4.1% national
- Rome nonfarm employment: 47,000 jobs — Unchanged year-over-year despite labor force growth
- Rome labor force: 49,265 — Up 1,089 over the year
- Georgia IT sector employment growth: 49.8K to 53.0K — Info/comm employment Q2 2025 to Q2 2026
Key takeaways
Software Engineer pay is sliding in Rome while national pay holds firm.
Metro median sits at $120,219, down significantly this month, against a stable national median of $154,403. Widening gap may signal Rome employers are losing pricing power for general software talent relative to remote-first national postings.
Cybersecurity pay is pulling away from the rest of the local IT stack.
Cybersecurity Analyst advertised pay rose significantly to $95,570, outpacing moderate gains in Systems Administrator and Network Engineer roles. Rising compliance and threat exposure appear to be forcing employers to pay up for security expertise even as other infrastructure roles see slower movement.
Help Desk compensation erosion raises entry-tier retention risk.
Metro Help Desk pay fell to $51,561, a moderate decline, while statewide IT Service Technician pay averages $61,071. Gap suggests Rome support roles may be underpriced relative to state norms, inviting turnover to nearby markets or BPO-adjacent employers.
Flat metro job growth masks a tightening skilled-talent market.
Rome's 47,000 jobs are unchanged year-over-year even as the labor force grew by 1,089, meaning more job seekers are chasing a static number of positions overall. That slack does not extend to specialized IT roles, where statewide demand for computer systems design work is projected to add 7,300-plus jobs by 2028.
Median advertised pay by role — Rome, GA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist * | $114,306 | $140,663 | $159,523 | Stable | $145,881 |
| Systems Administrator | $75,287 | $102,425 | $122,188 | Moderate increase | $102,503 |
| Network Engineer * | $72,781 | $111,906 | $128,707 | Moderate increase | $115,757 |
| Software Engineer | $95,150 | $120,219 | $144,600 | Significant decline | $154,403 |
| Help Desk/IT Support Specialist | $44,377 | $51,561 | $66,638 | Moderate decline | $53,129 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $80,450 | $95,570 | $101,450 | Significant increase | $107,327 |
| IT Project Manager * | $80,352 | $114,441 | $128,947 | 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
Rome's unemployment rate ticked up to 3.4% in September even as the labor force expanded by 767 workers over the month and nonfarm employment held flat year-over-year at 47,000 jobs, a pattern consistent with an economy adding workers faster than it adds positions. Statewide wage growth in information and professional/technical sectors continues to outpace Rome's broader 5.0% wage gain, suggesting metro employers compete for technical talent against a faster-growing Atlanta corridor without matching its pay trajectory.
What it means
Flat local headcount growth alongside rising statewide IT wage stratification — Georgia's AI engineers now command $136K-$184K against a metro Software Engineer median of $120,219, down significantly this month — signals that Rome employers retaining general-purpose engineering talent face growing exposure to Atlanta and remote-market poaching. Cybersecurity Analyst pay climbing significantly to $95,570 while Help Desk pay slides to $51,561 points to a bifurcating local market where security and compliance roles justify in-house investment while routine support functions become stronger outsourcing candidates. Consider reviewing which infrastructure and support roles could shift to regional BPO or managed-service arrangements given Georgia's established ~46,000-worker outsourcing base, freeing budget to defend ground on security and systems administration pay.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: International Paper's 792-worker WARN filing affecting the broader Georgia footprint warrants attention for whether any displaced technical or operations-support staff surface in Rome's candidate pool over the next quarter.
Emerging pressure point: Software Engineer pay's significant local decline against stable national figures could widen further if Atlanta-area employers continue absorbing Rome-based remote talent at national rates.
Early indicator: Cybersecurity Analyst pay momentum locally and nationally suggests budget reallocation toward security headcount; watch whether Rome employers begin advertising for hybrid security/infrastructure roles as a category distinct from standalone positions.
Potential inflection point: Rome's rising unemployment rate alongside labor force growth may indicate more qualified candidates entering the market; monitor whether this eases hiring timelines for Systems Administrator and Network Engineer roles, both currently posting moderate pay increases.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Labor — Rome unemployment rate rose to 3.4% in September 2026
- Georgia Department of Labor — Rome ended September with 47,000 jobs, unchanged year-over-year
- Georgia IT labor market research — Georgia AI Engineers earn $136K-$184K depending on seniority
- Georgia Department of Labor / BLS occupational data — Georgia IT Service Technicians average $61,071 annually
- WARN Act Filings — International Paper filed WARN notice for 792 Georgia workers
- Georgia Department of Labor — Georgia info/communication employment grew from 49.8K to 53.0K
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.
Free to read and cite with attribution to WageScape. Terms of use.