Cold email software for software development companies
Acqro gives custom software development and IT outsourcing firms cold email that researches each prospect's company before writing. Below: verified federal data on the industry across all 50 states, the buyers it sells to, and a playbook for outreach that earns replies.
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How many software development companies are in the United States?
The United States had 68,051 establishments in NAICS 541511, custom computer programming services, in 2023, employing 1,012,250 people. The largest markets by establishments were California, Texas and Florida. Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.
Software development companies in the US by the numbers
- US establishments
- 68,0510.0% vs 2022Census CBP 2023, NAICS 541511
- Paid employees
- 1,012,250Census CBP 2023
- Average annual pay
- $124,254Census CBP 2023
- Firms under 10 employees
- 82.1%Census CBP 2023
- Largest state
- CaliforniaBy establishments, CBP 2023
Census does not publish a separate category for custom software development and IT outsourcing firms; figures use NAICS 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, the closest official industry. 82.1% of establishments have fewer than 10 employees, so most firms in the industry run outbound with a founder or a very small sales team. The 11,574 firms with 10 to 249 employees are the ones most likely to be building a repeatable outbound process.
The five largest states hold 43.9% of all establishments. Among states with at least 100 establishments, the fastest growth between 2022 and 2023 was in Delaware (+10.7%), Wyoming (+8.3%) and District of Columbia (+8.3%). Growing markets bring new competitors and new buyers at the same time, which rewards outreach that is specific rather than volume-driven.
Software development companies by state
All states and DC ranked by number of establishments, with the change since 2022.
| Rank | State | Establishments | Employees | Change vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 10,962 | 182,743 | −0.9% |
| 2 | Texas | 6,411 | 95,646 | +3.2% |
| 3 | Florida | 4,839 | 45,971 | +0.3% |
| 4 | Virginia | 4,080 | 74,778 | +2.4% |
| 5 | New York | 3,559 | 49,409 | −1.2% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 2,965 | 49,196 | −0.2% |
| 7 | Illinois | 2,838 | 43,213 | −0.5% |
| 8 | Georgia | 2,537 | 42,463 | +1.5% |
| 9 | Maryland | 2,176 | 36,724 | +4.2% |
| 10 | Colorado | 2,146 | 19,156 | −2.3% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 2,099 | 37,308 | −1.4% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 1,736 | 34,618 | −4.4% |
| 13 | Ohio | 1,733 | 28,632 | −2.0% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 1,680 | 24,523 | +1.0% |
| 15 | Washington | 1,585 | 28,204 | −1.4% |
| 16 | Michigan | 1,374 | 21,253 | −0.9% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 1,343 | 14,663 | −5.1% |
| 18 | Arizona | 1,234 | 18,748 | +3.5% |
| 19 | Utah | 942 | 12,491 | −1.4% |
| 20 | Oregon | 819 | 7,283 | −4.0% |
| 21 | Delaware | 765 | 5,925 | +10.7% |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 759 | 10,813 | +0.8% |
| 23 | Indiana | 751 | 10,996 | 0.0% |
| 24 | Missouri | 733 | 17,120 | +0.3% |
| 25 | Nevada | 661 | 4,352 | +0.9% |
| 26 | Tennessee | 661 | 9,000 | +1.2% |
| 27 | South Carolina | 566 | 6,066 | −1.9% |
| 28 | Connecticut | 539 | 10,853 | 0.0% |
| 29 | Kansas | 395 | 4,005 | 0.0% |
| 30 | Alabama | 366 | 7,135 | −2.9% |
| 31 | Kentucky | 363 | 5,554 | −2.7% |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 360 | 3,235 | −3.0% |
| 33 | Iowa | 356 | 10,423 | −2.2% |
| 34 | District of Columbia | 352 | 6,841 | +8.3% |
| 35 | Louisiana | 352 | 3,797 | +0.9% |
| 36 | Idaho | 350 | 2,204 | +0.9% |
| 37 | Nebraska | 345 | 5,292 | +6.8% |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 318 | 2,999 | −5.1% |
| 39 | Arkansas | 242 | 2,905 | −2.0% |
| 40 | Wyoming | 234 | 619 | +8.3% |
| 41 | Montana | 216 | 1,422 | −2.7% |
| 42 | Maine | 191 | 1,755 | −1.0% |
| 43 | Hawaii | 180 | 881 | −3.7% |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 171 | 2,239 | −4.5% |
| 45 | New Mexico | 165 | 1,307 | −8.3% |
| 46 | Vermont | 139 | 1,172 | −6.1% |
| 47 | Mississippi | 116 | 1,620 | −10.1% |
| 48 | South Dakota | 108 | 896 | −2.7% |
| 49 | West Virginia | 88 | 1,061 | +12.8% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 80 | 1,112 | −9.1% |
| 51 | Alaska | 71 | 1,629 | −4.1% |
Who software development companies sell to
Common buyer industries for custom software development and IT outsourcing firms, with US establishment counts and how many have 10 to 249 employees.
| Buyer industry | Establishments | 10–249 employees | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Publishers | 18,425 | 5,923 | 1,011,187 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 225,945 | 22,061 | 1,736,343 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 108,792 | 33,938 | 2,072,993 |
| Manufacturing | 284,452 | 123,720 | 12,335,234 |
How software development companies should run cold email
Custom software development and IT outsourcing firms sell custom application development, product engineering and development capacity. These are the contacts, triggers and messages that make a first email relevant rather than generic.
Who to email
- CTO or VP of engineering
- Founder at early-stage companies
- Product leader
- CIO or IT director at non-tech companies
Signals worth researching
- Engineering job posts open for extended periods
- Funding rounds that come with product roadmaps
- Legacy system replacements or digital initiatives announced
- New product launches with visible technical needs
What to say
- Reference the roles or initiative you found
- Speak to delivery speed and risk, not hourly rates
- Offer a short scoping call for one defined project
What to avoid
- Generic 'we have developers available' messages
- Long technology stack lists
Cold email for software development companies, answered
How many software development companies are there in the US?
There were 68,051 establishments in NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) in 2023, employing 1,012,250 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
Which states have the most software development companies?
By establishments in 2023: California (10,962), Texas (6,411), Florida (4,839), Virginia (4,080) and New York (3,559). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
How do software development agencies find clients through cold email?
Look for companies with visible engineering demand: long-open developer roles, new funding with a roadmap, or a digital initiative announced publicly. A short message referencing that need and proposing a scoped conversation performs better than capacity-based pitches.
Who hires an outside development partner?
At technology companies the CTO or VP of engineering, sometimes a product leader. At non-technology companies the CIO, IT director or a business owner sponsoring a digital project.
Is cold email legal in the United States?
Yes. The federal CAN-SPAM Act permits commercial email to business contacts without prior consent, provided the message identifies the sender accurately, uses a truthful subject line, includes a valid physical postal address and a working opt-out, and honours opt-out requests promptly. CAN-SPAM applies in every state and preempts most state commercial email laws, except provisions aimed at falsity or deception. This is general information, not legal advice.
Explore related pages
Software Development Companies by state
Other industries
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from a federal statistical release and is shown with its source and reference year. Figures the agencies withhold or publish with high noise are left out rather than estimated. Page updated September 17, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and 2022: establishments, paid employment for the pay period including March 12, annual payroll, and establishments by employment size. Industries use NAICS 2017 codes.
- Industry definition: NAICS 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, used as the closest official category for custom software development and IT outsourcing firms.
Built for software development companies who sell to a finite list
Acqro researches every account on your list and writes the first email from what it finds.
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