Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Texas

Lead Software Engineer jobs in Texas are among the most active in the country, with strong demand concentrated in enterprise software, defense and aerospace technology, financial services, and cloud infrastructure across a wide range of seniority levels. Austin, Dallas, and Houston are the primary hiring metros, home to major employers like Dell Technologies, Texas Instruments, and JPMorgan Chase that consistently staff engineering leadership roles. The most sought-after specialties in Texas are distributed systems, full-stack architecture, and platform engineering. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles391+
Top employerCelestica
Top cityAustin, TX
Cities hiring40
Work type80% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 391+ Lead Software Engineer jobs

Celestica
Senior Lead Software Engineer
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Celestica
Added 1w ago
Senior Lead Software Engineer
Celestica
Austin, Texas
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Embedded Systems Engineering
Technical Program Management
Backend Engineering
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Cadence Design Systems
Lead Software Engineer
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Cadence Design Systems
Added 1w ago
Lead Software Engineer
Cadence Design Systems
Austin, Texas
Software Engineering
Backend Engineering
On-Site
Master's
10,000+

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Arista Networks
Linux Kernel Senior/Lead Software Engineer
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Arista Networks
Added 1w ago
Linux Kernel Senior/Lead Software Engineer
Arista Networks
Austin, Texas
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Backend Engineering
On-Site
Bachelor's

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Cox Automotive
Lead Software Engineer
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Cox Automotive
Added 1w ago
Lead Software Engineer
Cox Automotive
Austin, Texas
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Full-stack Engineering
Backend Engineering
Technical Program Management
$135k - $225k/yr
Hybrid
None
10,000+

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Western Union
Lead Software Engineer
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Western Union
Added 1w ago
Lead Software Engineer
Western Union
Austin, Texas
Software Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Technical Product & Program Management
Backend Engineering
Cloud Engineering
Technical Program Management
$164k - $243k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's
5,001-10,000

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See All 391+ Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Texas

Find roles in Texas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Lead Software Engineer Jobs by City in Texas

Where Texas roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Austin
102 jobs
Dallas
68 jobs
Houston
62 jobs
Plano
31 jobs
Irving
28 jobs
Richardson
19 jobs
Fort Worth
8 jobs
San Antonio
7 jobs
El Paso
6 jobs

Lead Software Engineer Job Market in Texas

A snapshot from current Texas openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • Celestica
    Celestica21
  • Westwood Professional Services
    Westwood Professional Services18
  • WSP
    WSP12
  • Citi
    Citi11
  • Kiewit
    Kiewit11

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software111
  • Consulting & Professional Services103
  • Electronics & Hardware48
  • Energy26
  • Banking & Financial Services24

What Texas Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in lead software engineer jobs across Texas.

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
  • Seven or more years of software development experience with at least two in a technical lead role
  • Proven experience leading end-to-end delivery of production systems at scale
  • Proficiency in one or more of Java, Python, Go, or C++ with cloud platform experience on AWS or Azure
  • Experience mentoring engineers and conducting code reviews within agile delivery teams
  • Strong system design skills including microservices architecture, APIs, and distributed systems

Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a lead software engineer in Texas?

Becoming a lead software engineer in Texas does not require a state-issued license, but Texas employers consistently expect a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field alongside substantial hands-on engineering experience. Most candidates move into lead roles after building deep expertise in a specific stack, demonstrating the ability to own a product area end-to-end, and taking on informal mentorship. Texas's large enterprise and defense tech sectors also value cloud certifications from AWS or Microsoft Azure as credible signals of readiness.

How much do lead software engineers make in Texas?

Lead software engineers in Texas earn a median of about $132,150 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $82,600 for the lowest 10% to over $183,680 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire lead software engineers in Texas?

Employers hiring lead software engineers in Texas right now include Celestica, Westwood Professional Services, and WSP, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Texas's concentration of enterprise headquarters, defense contractors, and fintech firms means lead engineering roles appear across a broad range of industries, from semiconductor and aerospace to banking and retail technology.

Which Texas cities have the most lead software engineer jobs?

Austin, Dallas, and Houston have the most lead software engineer openings in Texas, driven by Austin's dense concentration of tech company headquarters and satellite campuses, Dallas's large enterprise and fintech employers, and Houston's growing energy-technology and aerospace sectors that increasingly depend on embedded software leadership.

Are there remote lead software engineer jobs in Texas?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 20% of lead software engineer openings tied to Texas are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how naturally the work fits distributed teams. The roles most likely to be fully remote are those focused on backend systems, platform engineering, or cloud architecture, while lead positions requiring close coordination with on-site hardware or embedded teams tend to be hybrid or on-site.

How can I get hired as a lead software engineer in Texas with little or no experience?

The most realistic path for candidates without direct lead experience is moving laterally from a strong senior individual contributor role into a team-lead or technical-lead track at a large Texas employer. Companies like Dell, Amazon's Austin and Dallas offices, and major Texas banks run associate and graduate engineering programs that fast-track strong performers into leadership responsibilities. Building a portfolio of open-source contributions or end-to-end personal projects, and earning an AWS or Azure certification, gives candidates a measurable edge when applying for hybrid lead-contributor roles that serve as stepping stones.

Where can I find and apply to lead software engineer jobs in Texas?

You can find and apply to lead software engineer jobs in Texas on Migrate Mate, which lists current Texas openings across industries and seniority levels. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to employers through the listings on this page.

See All 391+ Lead Software Engineer Jobs in Texas

Find roles in Texas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Lead Software Engineer Jobs