10 Best US Cities For Tech Jobs In 2016
Glassdoor recently released its report on the best cities for jobs in 2016 based on factors including cost of living, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. Which of these cities on its list are best for IT pros? We take a look.
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Lucrative tech jobs can be found in cities around the world, but some places have the ideal mix of job satisfaction and work-life balance that so many professionals value and seek. Glassdoor's annual "25 Best Cities for Jobs" list spotlights some of the best cities to live and work.
[For an updated list of the best US cities for IT jobs, check out InformationWeek's 10 Best US Cities for Tech Jobs in 2017.]
To come up with this year's rankings, Glassdoor compared the 50 most populated US metropolitan areas then ranked them on a 5-point Job Score scale. Data used in the comparisons was pulled from Glassdoor, Zillow, and the US Office of Management and Budget.
The company selected its top 25 cities based on four factors: hiring opportunity, cost of living, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. Criteria were weighted equally in order to gauge which cities were best for all four, explained Allison Berry, Glassdoor Community Expert.
While equal weighting was important for the purposes of this study, Berry also noted not all jobs are created alike. Job seekers should continue to research cities that will offer what's most important to them, whether it's a lower cost of living or higher work-life balance.
For tech pros, some of these priorities weigh more heavily than others.
[Read: The 10 Best Tech Jobs for 2016]
"In particular, work-life balance and affordability increasingly matter to tech job seekers when they are searching for the best city to land a new job," Berry explained. Employees on Glassdoor have been reporting a decline in work-life balance, and many employers in the listed cities are trying to amend this with benefits like work-from-home days and unlimited paid time off.
Affordability is also important in searching for a place to live, but tech pros in popular and expensive cities like San Jose typically earn handsome salaries to offset high prices. Many accept the trade-off because these cities offer the work-life balance and job satisfaction they crave.
Many of the cities on Glassdoor's top 25 list are well-known and rapidly growing hubs within the technology industry. The company did not specifically measure the top cities for tech pros as part of its research, but it did shed some light on which cities best cater to the evolving needs people who work in tech.
"A ranking of the 'best cities for tech jobs' might look similar to our current Best Cities for Jobs List -- with Silicon Valley/Bay Area cities appearing similarly high on the list," Berry said. "However, we may see some differences in mid-size tech hubs closer to the top like Austin or Salt Lake City."
We took Glassdoor's advice into consideration and put together this list of hot cities for tech pros in 2016. In this list, you'll notice a few "hot jobs" listed for each city. These jobs were selected according to Glassdoor Trends, which evaluates the previous months of activity for thousands of jobs and companies to pinpoint spikes in activity from job seekers.
Do you live in any of these cities? Would you consider moving to one?
It's little surprise to see San Jose, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, among the best cities for tech professionals. The San Jose metropolitan area is home to several high-profile companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook.
Glassdoor reports there are 61,038 job openings in San Jose, where the job satisfaction rating is 3.5. The median base salary is $112,000, and the median home value is $965,500.
On the job market? Some of the hottest tech jobs in San Jose include solutions architect, data scientist, and senior software developer.
San Francisco is another hot spot for tech jobs, nearing the top of Glassdoor's list for hiring opportunities, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. "This indicates the Bay Area has very active job markets and satisfied employees, which comes as no surprise," said Berry.
San Francisco has a reported 121,597 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.5. The median base salary is $88,000 and median home value is $806,600.
In-demand titles in San Francisco include data scientist, solutions architect, and engagement manager.
If you're looking for new opportunities but prefer a lower cost of living, look toward the Pacific Northwest. "Seattle is a fast-growing, mid-sized tech magnet, and is gaining a national reputation as an alternative to high-cost tech hubs such as the Bay Area," Berry noted.
Seattle has 103,124 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.4. Employees earn a median base salary of $85,000, and the median home value is $382,700 -- markedly lower than that of the Bay Area.
Hot jobs in Seattle include solutions architect, UI-UX designer, and data scientist.
"When it comes to finding the best city for tech jobs, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better," said Berry. Austin is among the midsize tech hubs where employees can enjoy a lower cost of living without sacrificing job satisfaction, work-life balance, or a thriving job market.
Austin has 45,186 job openings and job satisfaction rating of 3.4. The median base salary is $61,000 and median home value is $247,500.
Thinking of heading south? Austin's hottest tech jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and business systems analyst.
Salt Lake City is another star in the midsize tech hub category. The Utah city has 23,013 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.4. Employees earn a median base salary of $58,700, and the median home value is $234,400.
Hot tech jobs in Salt Lake City include technical support engineer, software engineer, and product manager.
Boston has a slightly higher cost of living than tech cities in the Midwest, but plenty of opportunities for professionals who currently live in or hope to move to New England.
Boston has 121,498 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.4. The median base salary is $67,500 and median home value is $387,400.
The hottest tech jobs in Boston include applications developer, solutions architect, and data scientist.
The US capital is a draw for tech pros in the mid-Atlantic region. Washington has 163,520 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.4. The median base salary is $70,000 and median home value is $364,100.
Some hot jobs in the district include data scientist, solutions architect, and UI-UX designer.
The Raleigh area has 34,660 job openings, reports Glassdoor, and a job satisfaction rating of 3.3. Employees earn a median base salary of $62,000, and the median home value is $209,400.
Hot jobs in Raleigh-Durham include software engineer, solutions architect, and software engineer.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area has 65,141 job openings for professionals on the market, and a job satisfaction rating of 3.3. The median base salary is $65,000 and median home value is $219,400.
If you're looking for work in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, some of its hottest jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and systems administrator.
The St. Louis area has 49,450 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.3. Employees earn a median base salary of $56,896, and the median home value is $141,900.
The strongest tech jobs in St. Louis include software developer, data scientist, and IT project manager.
The St. Louis area has 49,450 job openings and a job satisfaction rating of 3.3. Employees earn a median base salary of $56,896, and the median home value is $141,900.
The strongest tech jobs in St. Louis include software developer, data scientist, and IT project manager.
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