The 5 Hottest US Job Markets for IT Professionals
The economy is slumping, but IT hiring remains strong, particularly if you know where to look. Here's a rundown of five sizzling locations in the United States for IT jobs and why.
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Despite recently announced layoffs at several tech giants, such as Amazon, Google, and Meta, the IT job market remains strong. Still, some areas are doing far better than others.
That has a lot to do with the industries that have made these areas a strong home base, but the locations as well are appealing for a variety of reasons.
If you're looking for locations and industries in which IT jobs remain abundant, despite a weak economy, check out these five hot spots.
Firms with lucrative government contracts and tech startups are driving IT job demand in the Washington D.C./Baltimore region. “This area boasts a high ratio of openings to available workers in IT at around two positions available for every candidate, with pay rates starting at about $115,000 per year on the low end to nearly $200,000 per year on the high end,” says
Sriram Ramakrishnan, senior vice president at ManpowerGroup's Experis unit..
Well-established companies, such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon, have major operations in the area, fulfilling government defense and aerospace contracts. Additional employment opportunities are available with up-and-coming tech companies. Fearless, a Baltimore tech startup, is a great example, Ramakrishnan says. “They recently won a federal contract worth $120 million.” Fintech also offers excellent opportunities for IT job seekers, she notes, with companies like Capital One headquartered in the D.C.-metropolitan area.
The New York tri-state area, including the Big Apple, Connecticut, and New Jersey, has long been a hub for retail, pharmaceutical, and financial companies. “All of these industries are continuing to grow their IT operations,” says Diane Rafferty, managing director and head of the technology staffing practice at Atrium, a staffing and workforce solutions firm.
Rafferty notes that open positions often require application development skills, since many enterprises are either in the process of implementing, or planning to implement, cloud-based technologies. “Since the pandemic paused various projects, many companies are now in the throes of moving forward with major initiatives and projects that can take anywhere from one to three years to complete,” she says.
Warning: Commuting times can be daunting, particularly if your job takes you into Manhattan. With any luck, you'll be able to score a position that allows working from home, full- or part-time.
No surprise here. “Cities in Silicon Valley continue to provide opportunities for IT workers,” says Ron Delfine, executive director of career services at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.
An established ecosystem of successful tech organizations, as well as non-tech businesses with IT needs, such as financial institutions and real estate firms, offer a virtually endless array of employment opportunities for IT professionals at all skill levels. “The presence of local universities, providing a pipeline of talent for these organizations, also helps to maintain a strong market,” Delfine notes. “Competitive salaries help retain recent IT-focused graduates as well as attract IT professionals from outside of the area.”
Silicon Valley's benefits include high salaries, an opportunity to work at the headquarters of a tech industry giant (or promising startup), and the chance to connect with highly talented, upwardly mobile colleagues. On the downside are sky-high housing prices and living expenses.
Colorado, particularly the Denver and Boulder areas, has experienced a significant increase in IT jobs over the past several years. “Colorado is home to many large companies that are expanding their operations and need IT professionals to help them grow,” says Kimberley Tyler-Smith, a former McKinsey & Company analyst, currently the chief strategist at career tech service company Resume Worded. Google, Oracle, and VMware are among the many tech leaders with operations in the state.
The types of IT jobs available in Colorado vary widely, depending on one's experience and expertise level, ranging from entry level positions, like cloud administrator or IT support specialist, all the way up to CIO, Tyler-Smith says.
There aren't many drawbacks to working in Colorado -- as long as you're not a beach fan. “It's a fantastic place to live and work,” Tyler-Smith says. “It has everything you could want: a moderate cost of living, beautiful scenery, great weather, and lots of opportunities for recreation when you're not working.”
Austin has emerged over the past few years as a major tech employment hub and a strong rival to Silicon Valley. “The capital city of the Lone Star State continues to draw technology businesses and talent with its alluring mix of opportunity, affordability, and traditional real estate,” says Stavros Zavrakas, founder of IT consulting services firm Orthogonality.
According to Zavrakas, the area added 64,481 technology jobs in 2021, and it continues to top the list for predicted job growth over the next year (3.75%) and five years (13.9%). “The top employers for IT professionals in the metro area are IBM, Deloitte, Dell, Amazon, and General Motors, and all offer competitive salaries,” he says.
The average tech salary in Austin is $90,459, but when considering the area's relatively low cost of living, it feels like much more, Zavrakas says. Although a rapidly growing population is contributing to the city's declining affordability rating, the overall cost of living is still a bargain when compared to Silicon Valley and the New York and Washington/Baltimore areas.
Austin has emerged over the past few years as a major tech employment hub and a strong rival to Silicon Valley. “The capital city of the Lone Star State continues to draw technology businesses and talent with its alluring mix of opportunity, affordability, and traditional real estate,” says Stavros Zavrakas, founder of IT consulting services firm Orthogonality.
According to Zavrakas, the area added 64,481 technology jobs in 2021, and it continues to top the list for predicted job growth over the next year (3.75%) and five years (13.9%). “The top employers for IT professionals in the metro area are IBM, Deloitte, Dell, Amazon, and General Motors, and all offer competitive salaries,” he says.
The average tech salary in Austin is $90,459, but when considering the area's relatively low cost of living, it feels like much more, Zavrakas says. Although a rapidly growing population is contributing to the city's declining affordability rating, the overall cost of living is still a bargain when compared to Silicon Valley and the New York and Washington/Baltimore areas.
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