Dallas-Fort Worth is America's fastest-growing major metropolitan area by population and one of its most dynamic corporate job markets. With over 20 Fortune 500 headquarters — including AT&T, American Airlines, Exxon Mobil (recently relocated from Virginia), Lockheed Martin, CBRE, and dozens of others — DFW has become the corporate relocation destination of choice for companies departing California, Illinois, and New York. Texas's no state income tax, lower cost of living than coastal cities, and business-friendly regulatory environment have driven a decade of sustained corporate migration into the region.
DFW's top sectors and employers
| Sector | Key employers |
|---|---|
| Technology and telecom | AT&T (HQ — Dallas), Texas Instruments (HQ — Dallas), Ericsson US HQ (Plano), Nokia (US HQ — Plano), Fujitsu, Oracle (Irving) |
| Financial services | Goldman Sachs (major office — Richardson), JPMorgan Chase (major operations), Charles Schwab (HQ relocated to Westlake), Comerica (HQ), Hilltop Holdings (HQ) |
| Aviation and aerospace | American Airlines (HQ — Fort Worth), Southwest Airlines (HQ — Dallas), Lockheed Martin (HQ — Bethesda but major Fort Worth operations — F-35 production), Bell Textron (HQ — Fort Worth) |
| Healthcare | Baylor Scott & White Health (HQ — Dallas), Texas Health Resources (HQ — Arlington), UT Southwestern Medical Center, CHRISTUS Health (HQ — Irving) |
| Energy | Pioneer Natural Resources (now ExxonMobil — Irving campus), Atmos Energy (HQ — Dallas), Energy Transfer Partners (HQ — Dallas) |
| Retail and consumer | JCPenney (HQ — Plano), 7-Eleven (HQ — Irving), Kimberly-Clark (HQ — Irving), Match Group (HQ — Dallas) |
The DFW corporate migration
Dallas-Fort Worth has attracted a remarkable wave of corporate headquarters relocations in the 2020s. Notable companies that have moved HQ or major operations to DFW: Exxon Mobil (from Virginia to Irving), Charles Schwab (from San Francisco to Westlake), CBRE (from Los Angeles to Dallas), McKesson (from San Francisco to Irving), Oracle (major Texas presence from California). This migration has created thousands of corporate jobs at all levels and has significantly elevated DFW's professional talent market.
No Texas state income tax — the DFW advantage
Texas has no state income tax. For professionals earning $120,000+ annually relocating from California (13.3% top rate), New York (10.9% state + up to 3.9% city), or Illinois (4.95%), the Texas advantage translates to $8,000–$20,000 more in after-tax income annually — without requiring a salary increase. This financial advantage, combined with DFW's lower housing costs relative to coastal alternatives, makes the math for relocating professionals compelling.
DFW salary context
DFW salaries are competitive — typically 5–10% below New York and San Francisco for equivalent professional roles, but with substantially lower cost of living and no state income tax. For most professional roles, the after-tax, after-living-cost position of a DFW earner is highly competitive with or superior to coastal equivalents.
DFW job search resources
- LinkedIn — Dallas / Plano / Fort Worth / Irving: Essential for corporate and tech roles
- Indeed — Dallas-Fort Worth: Broad coverage across all sectors
- Dallas Regional Chamber: dallaschamber.org — economic development and employer information
- Built In Dallas: builtindallas.com — DFW tech startup ecosystem
- Texas Workforce Commission: twc.texas.gov
Sources: BLS Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Area employment data (2026); Dallas Regional Chamber economic data (2026); Texas Workforce Commission (2026); Robert Half DFW salary data (2026)
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