In Texas, non-competes are so restricted that employers can barely enforce them. I know people who signed non-competes, went to work for a competitor, and when they were sued the judge threw the case out because the non-compete clause was unenforceable according to Texas Law. It simply said "I agree not to start my own IT business or work for a competing IT business in three years of my departure" without specifying a range of distance that is enforceable.