Kosh Solutions: 2025 El Paso Mid-Year Tech Report
- Brandon Alsup
- Jul 7
- 5 min read
El Paso is no longer emerging—it’s accelerating. At the halfway mark of 2025, El Paso is becoming one of the Southwest’s fastest-growing tech economies. But beneath the headline growth, businesses across the city are wrestling with a shifting, more demanding IT landscape.
This is a report built from El Paso business leaders, CIOs, and operations teams—combined with the latest local economic and tech data.
Tech Momentum at the Border
$2.3B+ generated by the local tech sector
1,500 to 1,700 new jobs added since last year—many in IT, automation, and cloud infrastructure
The newly established Advanced Manufacturing District is a game-changer, projected to create 17,000 jobs, with 4,000 focused on technology and engineering. This district is fueling innovation and expanding El Paso’s tech footprint beyond traditional IT roles.
Median tech salaries for many roles are between $92K and $118K
Full Stack Developers are the most sought-after tech professionals in El Paso, with a projected job growth rate of 27% and median salaries around $92,000. Skills in JavaScript, Python, React, and Node.js are especially in demand, reflecting the city’s focus on modern web and cloud technologies.
Massive expansions: Microsoft (1,000+ roles), Schneider Electric (300 automation roles)
El Paso startups now valued at $2.3B, with $175M in recent investment
$5-$8M in grants funding UTEP and EPCC tech training initiatives
This growth is reshaping expectations for internal IT. What worked two years ago isn’t enough anymore.
What We're Seeing from El Paso Businesses
Here are the patterns we’ve seen and heard in the first half of 2025:
1. Compliance Is a Growing Priority—but Execution Is Uneven
In conversations with local executives, we’ve heard concerns about rising cyber insurance premiums and more complex audits. Organizations that once relied on informal policies are being asked to show real documentation—MFA, endpoint visibility, recovery plans.
2. IT Responsibilities Are Still Falling to Non-Technical Staff
We regularly meet office managers, COOs, or warehouse leads who’ve inherited IT by default. It’s not sustainable. As systems get more complex and expectations rise, these teams are looking for structured support and strategic input.
3. Device Sprawl & Shadow IT Are Slipping Through the Cracks
From remote employees using personal laptops to departments deploying SaaS tools without IT oversight, many leaders admit they aren’t sure what’s actually connected to their network. Visibility and standardization are becoming top concerns.
4. There’s Appetite for IT Strategy—But Uncertainty on How to Start
El Paso business owners want to modernize, automate, and tighten their systems. But many still think of IT as a reactive function. We’re seeing rising interest in building actual IT roadmaps—but often without a clear entry point.
5. MSP Pressure Is Mounting
Industry-wide consolidation, AI hype, and squeezed margins are hitting local providers. Business leaders tell us they’re wary of hands-off support models and cookie-cutter service tiers. The winners in El Paso will be MSPs who offer clarity, insight, and real partnership.
What El Paso Tech Teams Are Doing Right Now
The most proactive leaders we’ve talked to in El Paso aren’t waiting for the next problem to act. They’re:
Reviewing cyber insurance language before renewal season
Auditing internal processes for access control, data security, and system reliability
Replacing “informal IT” with defined ownership—whether internal or via MSP
Developing light-touch IT roadmaps for the next 2–3 quarters
Asking harder questions about vendor value and long-term strategy
Public and private investments are strengthening El Paso’s digital backbone. The city’s Department of IT Services secured a $26.5 million budget increase for tech infrastructure.
Where Does AI Actually Fit In?
You can’t have a tech update in 2025 without mentioning AI—but not all AI conversations are created equal.
Here’s what we’re seeing:
Technology companies like Kosh are already using AI internally—to analyze ticket patterns, streamline documentation, accelerate project scoping, and even write the first draft of some reports.
But most El Paso businesses are still watching from the sidelines. Business leaders tell us they’re intrigued by AI but unsure where to start.
The typical tools? Asking ChatGPT to summarize meeting notes or help format Excel formulas.
What they’re really looking for is the “easy button” for AI—a practical, trustworthy way to use it inside their workflow without needing a PhD or a full AI team.
We understand that there’s a huge gap between AI headlines (“Transform your entire business in 10 minutes!”) and what most teams actually need (“Can we automate the 3 things that waste the most time?”).
UTEP’s Innovation Lab recently launched a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence program, aiming to supply the local market with 150 new data analysis and engineering professionals, directly supporting El Paso’s growing AI and tech sectors.
What’s Next?
We think the next six months will be about low-stakes, high-value pilots—smart automation, decision support, document processing. And not just in big enterprises. The real opportunity in El Paso is figuring out how mid-sized teams can integrate AI without blowing up their budgets or their workflows.
Kosh’s Take
El Paso is at a moment of opportunity—and risk. The public investments, startup wins, and talent growth are real. But so are the pressures: compliance, security, and internal complexity.
If you’re unsure whether your IT setup is supporting your goals—or quietly slowing you down—now’s the time to ask. Not when a renewal hits, a system fails, or a contract rolls over.
Let’s Talk
Kosh Solutions has supported businesses in the El Paso region since 2005. Whether you're growing fast or just trying to make smarter decisions about your tech stack, we’d love to share what we’re seeing and help you make sense of it.
Sources
Here are the direct links to the primary sources used for the El Paso tech industry mid-year roundup:
Nucamp Blog – Complete Guide to Getting a Job in Tech in El Paso 2025https://www.nucamp.co/blog/coding-bootcamp-el-paso-tx-getting-a-job-in-tech-in-el-paso-in-2025-the-complete-guide
Nucamp Blog – Most in Demand Tech Job in El Paso in 2025https://www.nucamp.co/blog/coding-bootcamp-el-paso-tx-most-in-demand-tech-job-in-el-paso-in-2025
CBRE – El Paso Industrial Figures Q1 2025https://www.cbre.com/insights/figures/el-paso-industrial-figures-q1-2025
City of El Paso – Strategic Plan 2025 (PDF)https://www.elpasotexas.gov/assets/Documents/CoEP/Government/Strategic-Planning/Strategic-Plan-2025-Booklet-updated.pdf
Nucamp Blog – El Paso’s Top 10 Startups to Watch in 2025https://www.nucamp.co/blog/coding-bootcamp-el-paso-tx-el-pasos-top-10-startups-that-tech-professionals-should-watch-out-for-in-2025
Nucamp Blog – Top 10 Tech Companies to Work for in El Paso in 2025https://www.nucamp.co/blog/coding-bootcamp-el-paso-tx-top-10-tech-companies-to-work-for-in-el-paso-in-2025
https://www.nucamp.co/blog/coding-bootcamp-el-paso-tx-most-in-demand-tech-job-in-el-paso-in-2025
https://www.cbre.com/insights/figures/el-paso-industrial-figures-q1-2025
https://insider.govtech.com/texas/news/el-paso-will-spend-26-5m-on-tech-during-fiscal-year
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication is intended for limited use for informational purposes only. It is not considered professional advice, and instead, is general information that may or may not apply to specific situations. Each case is unique and should be evaluated on its own by a professional qualified to provide advice specifically intended to protect your individual situation. Kosh is not liable for improper use of this information.
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