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Index identifies US markets where tech employment and business opportunities intersect with affordability and quality of life

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – The capital of the Lone Star State is the brightest star in the new Tech Town Index released by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

For the third consecutive year Austin, Texas, leads the Tech Town Index, a ranking of metropolitan areas across the country where local technology communities are flourishing, and current and aspiring tech workers and businesses can find opportunities that intersect with affordability and quality of life.

Joining Austin in the top 10 are San Jose, Dallas, Atlanta, Huntsville (Ala.), Charlotte (N.C.), Raleigh (N.C.), San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The second half of the Tech Town Index includes Lansing (Mich.), Baltimore, Durham-Chapel Hill (N.C.), Trenton (N.J.), Boulder (Colo.), New York, Colorado Springs (Colo.), Des Moines (Iowa), Hartford (Conn.) and Tallahassee (Fla.)

The index is based on 2021 IT job posting data in 20 metropolitan areas with populations over 250,000 where demand for tech workers is greater than the national average. Markets were then evaluated and ranked based on cost of living, number of postings for open IT positions and projected job growth over the next 12 months and the next five years.

Austin shows no signs of relinquishing its standing as one of America’s top tech cities. It leads all markets in projected tech employment growth over the next year (+ 3.75%) and five years (+ 13.9%). The median salary for a tech worker ($90,459) stretches even farther when adjusted for Austin’s more affordable cost of living – the fourth most favorable among the 20 markets included in the index.

San Jose has claimed a top five spot in each of the four editions of Tech Town Index, with this year’s number two ranking its best showing yet. Though San Jose ranks 18^th in the index’s affordability category, it is first in median annual salary for an IT pro – $148,607, some $52,592 more than the national average.

Dallas slipped one notch in the index, but it remains one of the best places for IT professionals, entrepreneurs and enterprises alike. Access to diverse tech talent is among its key selling points. The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks in the first quartile when it comes to overall race and ethnicity characteristics within the tech workforce, according to Simpson’s Diversity Index metric.

Atlanta continues to move up in the Tech Town Index – from ninth in 2018 to fourth this year. Employment opportunities (111,000-plus IT job postings), a diverse mix of private and public colleges and universities and strong investment in tech companies ($7.1 billion in the last five years) have all contributed to Atlanta’s rise.

Beyond its rich history as a leader in aerospace technology, Huntsville today is attracting a broad range of IT talent. Growing diversity among its corporate community and an increasing number of tech job postings – 14,000 over a 12-month period – make Huntsville one of the best places to live for technology professionals.

More Highlights from the CompTIA Tech Town Index

Well known as an epicenter for the banking and finance industry, Charlotte continues to grow its status as a major IT player as more jobs requiring technical know-how are created in “non-technical” industries. Also noteworthy, approximately 37% of IT company CEOs in the Charlotte metro area are women.

Raleigh appears in the index for the fourth time with chances good that it will remain there in light Apple’s announced $1 billion-plus investment in a new campus and engineering hub in, projected to create 3,000 jobs.

San Francisco’s affordability challenge is offset by positive trends in tech employment opportunities (second only to Austin), pay ($133,000 median salary) and its culture, diversity and innovation.

Seattle continues to attract and retain technology businesses and top talent, with tech giants Microsoft and Amazon continuing to expand their presence in the region and with a startup scene that’s as strong as ever – more than $5 billion in funding raised by tech companies in 2021.

Washington is the starting point for anyone looking for IT with a connection to the federal government, but increasingly, non-government positions are growing in big numbers. That’s contributed to the prediction that tech job growth in the D.C. market will increase by 6.3% in the next five years.

The complete CompTIA Tech Town Index report is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/research/best-tech-cities-it-jobs.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit  https://www.comptia.org/.

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