You don’t need to move to Silicon Valley to cash in on the boom for IT talent. These 10 US cities are among the fastest growing tech hubs, according to CompTIA.
Net tech employment in the US reached just over 9.6 million in 2024 and is projected to grow 2.5% to 9.9 million by the end of 2025, according to the State of the Tech Workforce 2025 report from CompTIA. The economic impact of the tech industry also continues to grow, accounting for an estimated 8.6% of direct economic value, or around $2 trillion.
In its report, CompTIA evaluated the net tech employment of every metro area in America, combining different data points to paint a more comprehensive picture of the growing tech workforce.
While the foundation of the tech industry starts with tech professionals working in technical positions, CompTIA also points to the importance of business professionals employed by technology companies. Just as IT professionals are vital to non-tech companies, non-tech business professionals also make up 38% of net tech employment, and are vital to the industry. Plus, CompTIA ranked each metro area based on four quartiles for cost of living and tech wage premiums, with the first quartile being the most favorable rating.
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Based off that data, CompTIA identified these top 10 metro areas that have experienced tech job growth, and are predicted to see even more growth through the rest of the year.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas ranked in the third quartile for cost of living and tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring in Las Vegas include management and holding companies; professional, scientific, and technical services; and the public sector. Net tech employment in Last Vegas is projected to grow 4.7% and currently makes up just over 3% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $7.2 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Las Vegas include Tapestry, Cox Enterprises, PwC, DraftKings, and Take-Two Interactive Software.
Median tech wage: $91,848
Percent higher than national median: 106%
Austin
Austin ranked in the top quartile for cost of living and second for tech wage premium. In addition to tech, the top industries driving tech hiring include professional, scientific, and technical services; public sector; and finance and insurance. Net tech employment in Austin is projected to grow 4.4% and currently makes up just over 13% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $51.2 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Austin include Apple, Tesla, Google, Dell, Amazon, Samsung, AlertMedia, BAE Systems, and General Motors.
Median tech wage: $118,888
Percent higher than national median: 126%
Nashville
Nashville ranks in the first quartile for cost of living and the third for tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include professional, scientific, and technical services; management and holding companies; and finance and insurance. Net tech employment in Nashville is expected to grow 4.3% and currently makes up just over 5% of the overall workforce, with economic impact of $12.3 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Nashville include Toast, PwC, SharkNinja, and Motorola Solutions.
Median tech wage: $100,856
Percent higher than national median: 104%
Charleston
Charleston ranked in the second quartile for cost of living and for tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include the public sector; professional, scientific, and technical services; and manufacturing. Net tech employment in Charleston is expected to grow 3.9% for the rest of the year and currently makes up 4.5% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $4 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Charleston include Red Hat, Workiva, GoodUnited, and Avoxi.
Median tech wage: $101,350
Percent higher than national median: 112%
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City ranked in the third quartile for cost of living and for tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include professional, scientific, and technical services; finance and insurance; and the public sector. Net tech employment in SLC is expected to grow 3.8% and currently makes up 8.5% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $13 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies include Cash App, Square, Block, Discover, PwC, and Motorola Solutions.
Median tech wage: $109,762
Percent higher than national median: 112%
Dallas
Dallas ranked in the second quartile for cost of living and first for tech wage premium. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include finance and insurance; professional, scientific, and technical services; and administrative services. Net tech employment in Dallas is expected to grow 3.7% and currently makes up nearly 9% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $85.3 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Dallas include Texas Instruments, AT&T, Capital One, Cisco, Microsoft, ServiceNow, and Snap Inc.
Median tech wage: $119,586
Percent higher than national median: 137%
Denver
Denver ranked in the third quartile for cost of living and tech wage premium. In addition to tech, the industries driving tech hiring include professional, scientific, and technical services; finance and insurance; and management and holding companies. Net tech employment in Denver is expected to grow 3.2% and makes up just over 9% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $37 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Denver include BAE Systems, Inc., Square, Monday.com, Duda, Inc., Slack and Salesforce.
Median tech wage: $123,282
Percent higher than national median: 103%
Seattle
Seattle ranked in the fourth quartile for cost of living and first for tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include management and holding companies; professional, scientific, and technical services; and manufacturing. Net tech employment in Seattle is expected to grow 3.1% and makes up just over 12.4% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $151.4 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Seattle include Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and ServiceNow.
Median tech wage: $152,466
Percent higher than national median: 127%
Charlotte
Charlotte ranked in the second quartile for cost of living, and first in tech wage premium. In addition to tech, industries driving tech hiring include finance and insurance; management and holding companies; and professional, scientific, and technical services. Net tech employment in Charlotte has grown 3.1% and tech jobs make up 6.7% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $16.3 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in Charlotte include Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, AvidXchange, Accenture, and Apple.
Median tech wage: $117,950
Percent higher than national median: 137%
San Antonio
San Antonio ranks in the second quartile for cost of living and tech wage premiums. In addition to tech, the industries driving tech hiring include finance and insurance; public sector; and professional, scientific, and technical services. Net tech employment in San Antonio has grown 2.8% and tech jobs make up 4.7% of the overall workforce, with an economic impact of $7.3 billion in 2024. Some of the top tech companies in San Antonio include IBM, Dell, Rackspace, PwC, and CDW.
Median tech wage: $104,038
Percent higher than national median: 129%
2024’s Top 10
1. San Antonio
2. Philadelphia
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Columbus, Ohio
5. Houston
6. Raleigh, North Carolina
7. Baltimore
8. St. Louis
9. Denver
10. Los Angeles
