The Best Cities for Tech Jobs; Skilldacity analyzes key data points in technology, employment, and livability to uncover the best cities for IT professionals to call home.
Many of the best computer jobs are now done remotely. This is a welcome change for many of us. But, for everyone else, choosing the right city to live, work and play in can be vital to happiness and success. This study merges key statistics on America’s high-tech workforce with livability factors in over 150 cities to find the best places to live or relocate to as an IT professional.
To determine the best cities for tech jobs, we analyzed key employment data like IT salaries, the number of positions, and the percentage of the workforce in technical roles, as well as the leading indexes for the cost of living and quality of life, because after all, once the 9-to-5 is over you still have to live there.
Jump down to the bottom of the page for the ranking methodology and source list, or read on for this year’s top 8 cities for IT professionals.
Here are the best cities for technology jobs and workers:
(1) Huntsville, AL – Best tech city for value and affordability.
With a proliferating startup scene, high quality of life, solid wages, and one of the lowest living costs, Huntsville, Alabama, is 2022’s top destination for IT workers. Huntsville’s tech workforce was traditionally centered around NASA and the city’s large concentration of aerospace and military contractors. This is still true of “Rocket City” today; however, Huntsville recently revamped its downtown and attracted a slew of high-tech startups eager to capitalize on the built-in talent pool of engineers and low barriers to entry for business.
Pros of calling Huntsville home include best-in-class value (in both real estate and purchasing power), a strong and fast-growing job market, a convenient airport, and a short average commute with hardly any traffic. Huntsville also consistently ranks among the most educated cities in America.
Major technology employers in Huntsville include NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Boeing, Siemens, Mazda-Toyota, and Northrop Grumman.
The dominant tech careers in Huntsville are software engineer, aerospace engineer, systems analyst, and mechanical engineer.
Huntsville at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $104,150 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 7.2%
Cost of Living: 86 (14% below avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 7.0 out of 10
(2) Raleigh, NC – Best city for high-tech entrepreneurs.
Raleigh is making a name for itself in the computing scene and handily earned its spot in the top cities for tech jobs. Beyond its strategic focus on innovation, Raleigh’s future as an American tech hub is only improving as Apple recently announced plans to build a new campus and engineering hub while investing over $1 billion in the city. Over the next decade, Cupertino says this investment will create roughly 3000 tech jobs in hot fields like software engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The announcement followed Google’s announcement to create a Raleigh hub for its fast-growing cloud division, eventually adding another 1000+ high-paying tech jobs to The City of Oaks.
Living in Raleigh, North Carolina, benefits include the city’s cleanliness and natural beauty, midsize city amenities with a small-town vibe, and a young, friendly, and educated populace.
Significant providers of technology jobs in Raleigh-Durham include Red Hat, PRA Health Sciences, and IBM.
Raleigh’s most prevalent tech sector careers are software developer, IT support specialist, computer systems analyst, and civil engineer.
Raleigh, at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $102,640 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 5.8%
Cost of Living: 119.3 (19.3% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 6.9 out of 10
(3) San Jose, CA – Best city for tech jobs in the heart of everything.
Even as the technology workforce migrates from expensive locales and shifts to a more remote footing, every list of the best cities for tech jobs is complete with San Jose. San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley – the mecca for high-tech jobs and innovation in America. In addition, computing professionals in San Jose earn an average salary of $153,640, making it the highest-paying city for IT professionals. This premium pay will be helpful as the Silicon Valley standout also has the highest cost of living – more than double the national average.
For those who can swing it, San Jose is a fantastic place to live – highlights include:
- Great weather (300+ days of sunshine per year).
- Abundant job opportunities at some of the world’s most significant tech companies.
- Easy access to outdoor activities.
- A diverse and accessible food culture.
Major high-tech employers in San Jose include Google, Cisco Systems, Western Digital, PayPal, and Adobe.
The most popular IT careers in San Jose are software developer, software analyst, information security analyst, and computer systems analyst.
San Jose at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $153,640 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 6.6%
Cost of Living: 214.5 (114.5% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 7.6 out of 10
(4) Boulder, CO – Best tech city for outdoor enthusiasts.
With a cost of living 67 percent above the national average, starting or growing your IT career here won’t be cheap, but it’s worth it for the right professionals. In addition, Boulder is an ideal city for tech pros who love the outdoors, offering easy access to hiking and biking trails, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and water sports on its many lakes, rivers, and creeks. Finally, regarding the tech scene, Boulder has seen massive venture capital investments into startups, placing this relatively small city on the map as a destination for high-tech talent.
Beyond the great outdoors, US News & World Report’s Best Place to Live features top-notch dining and nightlife, a gorgeous cityscape packed with young innovators in tech, business, and creative pursuits, and proximity to safe, family-friendly neighborhoods with great schools.
Major high-tech employers in Boulder include Zayo Group, Gorilla Logic, Google Boulder, and Hamamatsu Photonics.
The dominant tech careers in Boulder, Colorado are software developer, end-user support specialist, network administrator, and computer hardware engineer.
Boulder, at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $109,780 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 7.8%
Cost of Living: 167.4 (67.4% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 8.2 out of 10
(5) Austin, TX – Best city for tech pros on the cutting-edge.
With the slogan “Keep Austin Weird,” but located inside the more traditional state of Texas, this eclectic city has a lot to offer many people, including IT professionals. Tech giants and startups are flocking to Austin for a favorable tax structure, small-business-friendly legislation, and a young and diverse talent pool. This migration has opened many opportunities for IT professionals, engineers, and developers. Factor in the city’s low unemployment, high quality of life, low cost of living, and solid wages, and you have a great place to launch your IT career.
On the lifestyle front, points of interest include a renowned live music scene, great food – especially barbecue, an up-and-coming comedy scene, and relatively mild weather (with a handful of scorchers and freezers mixed in to keep you on your toes).
Major high-tech employers in Austin, Texas, include Dell, Tesla, AMD, and Apple.
The dominant IT careers in Austin are software developers, technical support specialists, systems analysts, and network administrators.
Austin, at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $97,020 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 6.6%
Cost of Living: 119.3 (19.3% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 7.0 out of 10
(6) Washington, DC – Best city for government tech jobs.
Beyond being the seat of the federal government, the DMV (shorthand for District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) is home to a unique and fast-growing tech community. Like many companies in the capital, many DC tech jobs work for the government or its contractors. These positions have good benefits, substantial training budgets, and flexible schedules (compared to other tech roles). Still, there can also be a ceiling to advancement, political maneuvering, and bureaucratic red tape to get things done. The DMV is an ideal place to live or relocate to as an IT professional based on what’s important to you.
Highlights of living in Washington DC include:
- The capital’s rich history and culture.
- An impressive public transportation system.
- A population that’s young, diverse, and ambitious.
Major tech employers in DC include numerous agencies and departments in the federal government and military, as well as large satellite offices from major players like Amazon, IBM, and Oracle.
Washington DC’s most prevalent info-tech careers are IT security specialist, software developer, technical support specialist, and computer systems analyst.
Washington DC at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $117,730 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 7.9%
Cost of Living: 152.1 (52.1% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 7.0 out of 10
(7) Boston, MA – Best city for tech jobs in New England.
Boston is one of America’s oldest and most storied cities, but Beantown is still on its laurels regarding high-tech innovation. Surrounded by Northeast states and cities that boast some of the best educational institutions for STEM, Boston has harnessed this brain power to become a leading destination for career-minded technologists and engineers. Major high-tech growth sectors in Boston include FinTech, EdTech, BioTech, and Robotics.
The advantages of living in Boston include a rich American history that you can feel throughout the city, a diverse and accessible food scene, world-class professional sports, a solid public transportation system, fantastic education providers, plus an educated populace. Drawbacks include a high cost of living and frigid, snow-filled winters.
Major technology employers in Boston include SkillSoft, Toast, NVIDIA, and Boston Dynamics.
Boston’s most popular IT career paths are software developer, industrial engineer, computer support specialist, robotics engineer, and systems analyst.
Boston, at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $114,280 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 5.1%
Cost of Living: 162.4 (62.4% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 7.1 out of 10
(8) Seattle, WA – Best city for tech jobs in the Pacific Northwest.
One of the largest tech hubs outside The Valley, Seattle presents many benefits to IT pros and engineers. Beyond its top-tier IT salaries, Seattle is home to tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon, offering thousands of sought-after jobs with serious perks. I will note, however, that the cost of living here is high and rising, and issues like rising crime and homelessness threaten the quality of life in the city. So while Seattle is still a fantastic place to live and work, savvy tech pros should carefully consider their Seattle relocation plans – or dig into the surrounding suburbs, which are pretty beautiful.
Besides its rainy winters, Seattle is an outdoors person’s paradise featuring easy access to the coast and mountains year-round. The Emerald City also boasts a vibrant downtown full of nightlife, an incredible and culturally rich food scene, and many live music, art, and entertainment options.
Major technology employers in Seattle include Microsoft, Amazon, Tableau, and Boeing.
Seattle’s most popular tech careers are software engineer, web designer, help desk technician, and computer systems analyst.
Seattle, at a glance
Average Tech Salary: $129,890 †
Percentage of Workforce in IT: 8.4%
Cost of Living: 172.3 (72.3% above avg.)
Quality of Life Score: 6.5 out of 10
Methodology
To determine this year’s best cities for information technology jobs, we performed a weighted analysis using the following data points:
The mean salary for IT pros by city or metropolitan area from the BLS
Number and percentage of tech jobs in the local workforce from the BLS
Quality of Life Score from US News & World Report
Cost of Living Index from BestPlaces.net
We then combined this data with expert advice on current and emerging trends in IT hiring and the high-tech economy to assemble the final ranking.
