10 Best Cities for Tech Jobs


Technology permeates throughout the economy and most areas of life, such as healthcare, consumer products, national defense, and finance. From advancements in technology and what it produces comes opportunities for jobs and ventures. Here we profile the best cities for tech jobs in the United States and abroad. These cities offer tech entrepreneurs and job seekers multiple opportunities.

Best Tech Cities in the US

In deciding on the U.S. cities, we considered the presence of well-known tech firms, the commitment to tech development and positive trends in employment and pay. You’ll find well-populated areas and some with a relatively low cost of living. Academic, research and financial entities in the area also contribute to the prospects for employment in these cities.

Seattle

Average annual game tester salary: $76,581
Average annual software engineer salary: $99,902

First on our best cities for tech jobs list we have Seattle, the city that online retail giant Amazon calls home. With Microsoft located in nearby Redmond, these employers provide a number of jobs for aspiring high-tech workers.

Seattle ranks as one of the best tech cities in the US because of the wealth of talent that attracts many tech firms. In addition to the stalwarts Microsoft and Amazon, over a hundred tech companies have staked roots in Seattle. These companies account for an estimated 136,910 tech jobs in the Seattle area.

San Jose

Average annual software engineer salary: $106,765
Average annual Java developer salary: $105,714

Some of the most recognized names in Hi-Tech: Google, Cisco, Yahoo, eBay, and Apple form the backbone of the San Jose area and its Silicon Valley. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the San Jose area has an estimated 132,140 computer and mathematical jobs. Bioscience and Green Technology firms also populate the San Jose area.

Thanks to the influence of these and many other tech bulwarks, pay has grown by over 18.4% since 2006, with an average of 2.4% yearly. Also, hiring may be sustained from a demand for computer, semiconductor and other hardware-oriented jobs to those involving software and applications.

Austin

Average annual software engineer salary: $80,184
Average annual web developer salary: $60,068

The Austin metropolitan area boasts nearly 5,800 high-tech employers and nearly 130,000 jobs, though the rate of growth slowed from 2015 to 2016. In Austin, roughly one in every four dollars of payroll in Austin came from high-tech jobs.

Still, Austin makes our best cities for tech jobs list for being the home of Dell Computers and the annual South by Southwest festival. This gathering showcases a diverse set of tech topics, such as cryptocurrencies, entertainment, film, high tech workplaces, and healthcare. The low cost of living renders high tech salaries in Austin fairly lucrative. As reported by Quartz, the 2017 adjusted yearly salary stood at $202,000 for Austin’s high tech workforce and ranked first among major metropolitan areas in that category.

Boston

Average annual app developer salary: $80,310
Annual average web developer salary: $85,115

Boston houses two of the most highly-recognized brands in higher education: Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Also, other colleges and universities in Boston help the city earn the Milken Institute’s life science capital designation. The discipline generates many research and development and other technology jobs.

As one of the best cities for tech jobs, Boston benefits from considerable pools of venture capital. These firms have contributed over $100 million in a single year to companies performing cybersecurity, a high-demand field of technology. Within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts overall, ten percent of private sector employment comes from the tech industry. Massachusetts ranks fifth nationally in tech pay, at an accumulated amount of over $34 billion annually.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill

Average annual software engineer salary: $84,544
Average annual Java developer salary: $77,709

The Research Triangle Park serves as the technological hub of a region with the prominent municipalities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Each has a well-known university. Engineering and agriculture feature prominently at North Carolina State University, one of 11 colleges in Raleigh. Moreover, within this area lies a fertile ground for those seeking high-tech jobs. Software engineers can find jobs in the Triangle, especially with financial firms.

The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area lands as one of our best tech cities in US because of the job opportunities and low cost of living relative to other places. This manifests itself in real estate prices that can run as little as one-tenth of other metropolitan locales with a strong high-tech presence.

Best Tech Cities in the World

We chose these places especially for the emphasis placed by the private and public sectors on tech advances and on the creation of new tech businesses and jobs. Among these cities, we included those long associated with tech innovation and those that you might not think would have tech development. Some of these cities offer a high quality of life, influenced by the incorporation of technology into environmentally-friendly planning.

Tokyo, Japan

Average annual video game tester salary: 10,041,556 JPY ($90,547 USD)
Average annual web developer salary: 14,833,504 JPY ($113,780 USD)

In the tech realm, Tokyo brings to mind many consumer electronics popular throughout the United States and much of the world. Brands such as Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic have brought televisions, radios, video players, computers, among other things.

With the 2020 Olympics for Tokyo in view, many technology outfits could find ample opportunities for profits and spaces for job seekers. The Japanese government seeks to create a highly-automated venue for the games. Moreover, according to Entrepreneur magazine, government infusions of capital to tech firms for fuel-cell and hydrogen-run vehicles could reach $330 billion.

Toronto, Canada

Average annual software engineer salary: C$106,267 ($80,805 USD)
Average annual app developer salary: C$106,267 ($80,805 USD)

Toronto appears as one of the best cities for tech jobs because of its major place in the tech world for entrepreneurs and the emphasis on developing new technology.

Nearly three out of every 10 information technology firms base themselves in Toronto, with most having no more than 50 workers. Indeed, Toronto has an estimated 5,200 startups. Other reasons include the presence of universities such as the University of Toronto, the high number of college graduates (64 percent), many of which have majored in or taken science, math, technology, and engineering courses. The provincial government of Ontario has set a goal for 10,000 additional STEM graduates by 2022.

Seoul, South Korea

Average annual video game tester salary: 37,510,707 (KWR) ($33,591 USD)
Average annual Java programmer salary: 41,571,559 (KWR) ($37,231 USD)

Seoul boasts the longest subway system in the world, rivaling that of New York City. It ranks near the top worldwide in patents, testifying to the innovation and invention fueling the continued tech industry there. Furthermore, according to Amazon.jobs, South Korea’s capital also stands first in penetration of broadband fiber optic.

Job opportunities may exist especially in mobile technology, where Seoul and its firms have placed a strong emphasis. From Seoul’s tech scene comes the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technology, which is responsible for the delivery of 4G to mobile and high-speed data devices.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Average annual web developer salary: 77.202 EURO ($89,868 USD)
Average annual app developer salary: 66,849 EURO ($77,930 USD)

You’ll find 170 information and communications companies headquartered in Amsterdam. These are among the 578 such companies with a presence in the capital of The Netherlands. Within these employers are represented sectors such as online ordering, software development, and cryptocurrency. Opportunities for employment come via the startups attracted to the city by the influx of tech talent.

That much of Amsterdam’s occupants speak English eases language barriers. While another draw for those seeking tech jobs, the Netherlands’ offer of a 30-percent tax break for foreign residents. Public transportation and abundant bicycle paths and lanes reduce traffic headaches.

Cape Town, South Africa

Average annual web developer salary: R392,013 ($28,556 USD)
Average annual software engineer salary: R655,575 ($47,474 USD)

Located in Cape Town’s “Center City,” The French South African Tech Lab equips aspiring tech entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge to start and grow their enterprises. Meanwhile, the Western Cape region of South Africa has four universities and accounts for six out of every ten new tech companies in South Africa.

The emerging financial and tech capacity of South Africa puts Cape Town within the list of the best cities for tech jobs. South Africa ranks 11th in internet bandwidth out of 137 countries. In terms of local equity financing, South Africa stands 25th out of 137. While the ranking for the availability of financial services for startups and business growth is 32 out of 137.

Conclusion

Basically, in our suggestions for best cities for tech jobs, we’ve mixed cities with a strong tradition of technology and those in younger stages. These locations feature an intellectual, academic and financial infrastructure and emphasis to support tech development. If you believe there are other best tech cities out there, please share them below.

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