12 Best Cities for Tech Jobs in 2023
March 11, 2022Last Updated on December 20, 2022
Just as the tech industry is constantly changing, so is the job market for tech industry positions. As individual companies boom, bust, and transform, the cities where they set up shop experience seismic shifts in everything from real estate to community culture.
If you’re looking to move someplace where the tech industry is thriving, you have a number of options to choose from. Here are 12 cities to consider.
1. Austin
In 2020, Austin was named the best tech city for the second year in a row. Tech companies like Apple, Oracle, Tesla, Google, and Facebook have Austin offices. Tech workers love Austin’s favorable climate, funky aesthetic, and booming food scene.
And while the cost of living is steadily increasing, Austin remains far less expensive than Silicon Valley. The average cost of living is about 3% below the national average.
2. San Jose
As the original technology and innovation headquarters, San Jose and the Silicon Valley area are still some of the best places to find a tech job. In the past five years, tech jobs in Silicon Valley grew by 16%.
The pandemic may have allowed tech workers to keep their high-paying jobs and move to cheaper cities, but many have remained in the Bay area.
3. Seattle
Most people know that Seattle has been home to Microsoft for decades, but they aren’t the only giant in the area. Other major tech companies in the Seattle area include Amazon, Tableau, and Cray. Tech salaries in Seattle are the second-highest in the country, with an average of $158,000.
4. Denver
Denver was named first on the 2021 STEM Job Growth Index, and the Mile High City has been in the top 10 since 2018.
Tech workers love the sunny Denver weather, access to winter sports, and the plethora of high-class restaurants.
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
Tech jobs reached a new high in Raleigh during the pandemic, along with other North Carolina cities. With a wealth of prestigious colleges in the area, it’s no surprise that Raleigh has become a potential hotbed for tech jobs.
Raleigh also has a lower cost of living than many other cities on this list – almost 50% less than San Francisco.
6. Boston
Boston is home to a number of tech jobs, especially in the medical, biological, and pharmaceutical industries. The number of tech jobs grew 43% in 2021 compared to the year before. The average salary for tech jobs in Boston increased by almost 40% over the past five years.
The cost of living is similar in Boston to Silicon Valley, and the city is a popular playground for both history buffs and sports fans.
7. New York City
Even though the East Coast may not be known as a tech hub, New York City has an abundance of STEM jobs. Most of the tech jobs located in NYC are in the finance, media, and advertising industries.
Even the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t harm the growth of tech jobs in NYC. From April to November 2020, tech jobs accounted for one in five new openings posted.
The cost of living is higher in New York compared to Seattle or San Francisco, but residents will enjoy access to Broadway shows, world-class museums, and some of the best restaurants in the world.
8. Atlanta
Atlanta has been a great place to poach tech talent for years, primarily because of Georgia Tech’s renowned Computer and Information Sciences program. But in recent years, burgeoning career opportunities in the ATL have convinced plenty of tech professionals to stick around.
Atlanta has seen a 15% growth rate for tech jobs in the past five years and has emerged as a surprising tech hub. Microsoft, Alphabet, and Apple have all opened large offices in Atlanta.
9. Washington, DC
Our nation’s capital isn’t often known as a tech hub, but that’s changing. During the pandemic, the number of tech jobs in the DC area grew – even when those same jobs dwindled in other parts of the country.
Both Amazon and Microsoft are opening major offices in the DC area, which should add tens of thousands of high-tech jobs.
10. Dallas
Even though Austin remains the tech hub in Texas, Dallas is slowly creeping up behind them. In 2021, Dallas was ranked as the third fastest-growing tech hub in the country. Many IT workers moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the pandemic because of a slightly lower cost of living.
Dallas transplants enjoy the city’s Tex-Mex cuisine, moderate weather, and the major Dallas airport.
11. Huntsville, Alabama
Home to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville is no stranger to cutting-edge technology. And in recent years, it has become a tech hub. In 2017, Ziprecruiter named Huntsville as the fastest-growing area for tech jobs. About a third of the total workforce is involved in STEM.
The cost of living in Huntsville has yet to catch up to the major tech cities. As of 2022, the cost of living was 58% lower in Huntsville than in Silicon Valley.
12. Portland, Oregon
The Portland area is known as Silicon Forest, and while the number of tech companies doesn’t rival Seattle, it’s not too far behind. Also, Oregon tech workers earn 1.4 times the national average, despite a lower cost of living compared to Seattle and San Jose.