Tech jobs are on the rise. The need for skilled professionals in fields such as networking, mobility, digital transformation and software/web development continues to grow. The advances in technology come at a rapid pace and a web search for tech jobs will return a list of jobs posted across the country and around the globe. Depending on your skill set and desired career field, the chances of finding a job in the tech field are very good. That begs the question, where do you want to work? Are you looking for work near where you currently live or do you want or need a change of pace? The following is a list of the top five best U.S. cities for tech jobs in 2020. If your desired city isn’t on the list, it doesn’t mean there aren’t good jobs where you want to work and live, these are just the hottest markets today. As a disclaimer, we are going to leave off Silicon Valley and the D.C. metro area since those markets are so saturated with tech jobs – cleared and non-cleared.
Austin, Texas
The absolute hottest job market for tech workers is Austin, TX. Austin and it’s surrounding Round Rock area have become a tech company hotbed with giants like Apple, HomeAway and Dell taking up residence in the city. The cost of living is much lower than that of other hot spots like Washington D.C. and Silicon Valley, but the pay is just as good. Most tech companies are offering amazing benefits packages and laidback workplaces. The weather is good, the BBQ is amazing and the city continues to grow year over year.
Seattle, Washington
The Emerald City is a close second to Austin in its draw for tech workers. There is no shortage of tech jobs in Seattle, not even the rain slows people from moving to Seattle. Big name companies like Amazon and Nintendo call Seattle home, and there are thousands of jobs open between the two. Cost of living is going to be higher in Seattle as compared to Austin, however there are tons of things to do and see in the area. The Space Needle is a draw for most visitors and residents as well as the surrounding outdoor areas such as the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, and the nearby Mt. Rainier, which is the highest point in Washington. If you are a techie that likes outdoor stuff and a city nightlife, Seattle is the best of both worlds.
Phoenix, Arizona
Ah, Phoenix… there’s no place like home. As a Phoenix native, it has been wild seeing the growth of my hometown over the past 40 years. Phoenix is right at the top of the list of fastest growing cities year in and year out, thanks in part to the low cost of living and great climate (well, for 8 months of the year anyways!). There are several big time tech companies: Amazon, Paypal, GoDaddy, NetApp, Discover and Boeing all have a presence in the Valley of the Sun or as some have called it the “Silicon Desert”. With the lack of natural disasters and the abundance of wide open spaces, companies are flocking to Arizona to build data centers and disaster recovery sites. In fact, Apple spent over $2 billion dollars to build a global data command center… that should tell you something.
Denver, Colorado
With Google planning on doubling their workforce in the Denver area and talks of Twitter expanding their presence in the city, it is easy to see why Denver would end up on this list. The cost of living in Denver is low and there is so much to do outdoors. Developers, networking specialists and system engineers are in high demand in the Denver area. Dish Network, Raytheon and CenturyLink also call Denver home and in the past 12 months alone, over 60,000 jobs have been posted. Just over an hour away, Colorado Springs is also a budding tech hub with several government contracting companies occupying space there.
Atlanta, Georgia
In 2018, over 100,000 tech jobs in Atlanta were posted online… that was two years ago! Atlanta is an exploding tech hub in the U.S. The lower cost of living and very competitive salaries make Atlanta a great location to look for work. Nightlife is good in the city with lots to see and do. My all time favorite restaurant is in Atlanta, Mary Mac’s Tea Room (absolutely the best food I’ve ever had). The Coca-Cola Museum is downtown as well as the Atlanta Aquarium which is one of the best in the country. With Georgia Tech, Morehouse College and Emory University nearby, there is a steady flow of talented techies which brings even more jobs to the area.
It is a good time to be a technology professional, anywhere in the world. There are so many jobs that need talented individuals to fill them. Do some research and come up with your own list if you are looking for a change. The cities listed above are hot and only going to get hotter in the years to come and as technology continues to evolve. Do you live in one of these cities? If so, leave a comment and give us your take. Did I miss a city? Tell me what should be on the list, and share it with us.
