Technology wages are rising because of the demand for talent in almost every industry. Salaries rose 6.9% between 2020 and 2021, reaching an average tech salary of $ 104,566 per year, according to the 2022 Dice Tech Salary Report. Salaries vary by location, with technologists reporting the highest average salary of $ 133,204 per year in Silicon Valley, the original tech hub.
But you don’t have to live in Silicon Valley to earn a high-tech salary, there are some other cities that are considered growing tech hubs where technologists can earn higher than average salaries, usually with lower cost of living. Dice is establishing a growing tech hub as a city with universities and colleges where to recruit, venture into funding opportunities, a strong social scene for networking, and current companies looking for talent.
These 10 cities are the fastest growing tech hubs by salary, according to Dice.
1. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh was formerly known for its manufacture of steel, iron, and glass, but the city is rapidly growing as a tech hub. In 2006, Google opened an office at Carnegie Mellon University which eventually grew and became the company that opened up larger office space in 2011. Shortly after Google’s roots in Pittsburgh, Faceboook, Uber, Apple, Amazon , and Microsoft, all complied, opened offices in the area. DuoLingo also has headquarters in Pittsburgh and Zoom announced that it will open a research and development center in Pittsburgh. There is also a strong focus on clean technology in startups such as CleanRobotics and RoadRunner recycling and in autonomous driving, along with companies such as Argo AI.
The average tech salary in Pittsburgh is $ 98,304 per year – a 14% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
2. Atlanta
Dubbed “Silicon Peach,” Atlanta offers low-cost operations and living, which is a draw for companies, while Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia provide a talent pool of educated tech professionals. MailChimp started in Atlanta as a startup and has since been bought by Intuit for $ 12 billion. Other tech companies include Calendly, NCR, SecureWorks, and Aware Software, among others. Amazon has expanded offices in the area and plans to hire an additional 300 workers. As a state, Georgia is committed to developing technology talent in the state – the Board of Education has approved a cloud computing curriculum to be added to the Georgia Career Pathways program. They also offer the Georgia FinTech Academy, which is a partnership between the Georgia FinTech industry and 26 public universities in the state to further develop talent.
The average tech salary in Atlanta is $ 107,515 per year – a 13.9% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
3. Chicago
Chicago has become a hot spot for startups, with more than 378 startups established over the past five years and a total of 6,151 technology companies in the city. Chicago also boasts the highest percentage of women-owned startups in the world, with 34% of startups being women-owned. Tech companies with offices in Chicago include PayPal, Microsoft, Adobe, Dell, SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, Cisco Systems, Google, eBay, VMware, and Roku, among others. The city has many opportunities for capital investment, and companies have access to institutions such as the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Illinois Institute of Technology for recruitment.
The average tech salary in Chicago is $ 106,537 per year – a 12.6% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
4. Miami
From 2020 to 2021, the number of tech workers moving to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area will increase by more than 15%. Interest in the city intensified during the pandemic, with people trying to escape the cold cities and eventually deciding to stay. Some say Miami’s growth as a tech hub is in part thanks to a simple Twitter exchange between Delian Asparouhov, a businessman who has become disillusioned with Silicon Valley, and Miami mayor Francis Suarez. Asparouhov joked about Silicon Valley’s “move” to Miami, and the mayor responded asking how he could help. Thereafter, Google searches for “Miami Tech” doubled amid the pandemic and the city continued to gain momentum in the tech scene.
The average tech salary in Miami is $ 92,004 per year – an 11.4% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
5. Seattle
Just north of Silicon Valley, Seattle is the birthplace of some of the world’s largest technology companies such as Microsoft and Amazon. It is now home to the headquarters of companies such as T-Mobile, Expedia, Nintendo of America, and offices for companies such as Twitter, Zendesk, Facebook, and Google. Twitter has opened a family community learning center called NeighborNest that offers residents and organizations access to technology and life skills. They offer programs such as digital literacy courses, coding for kids ’classes, and other family-friendly events for locals, and Twitter employees can volunteer their time and experience at NeighborNest and assist in the development of future technology talent.
The average tech salary in Seattle is $ 118,729 per year – an 11.2% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
6. Philadelphia
Philadelphia was ranked as the third most diverse city in the U.S. for STEM in 2020 and third as the city with the highest representation of women in STEM in 30% of the tech workforce. The city is committed to continuing its upward trend of tech diversity in the city, with the Department of Commerce providing $ 500,000 to several organizations for its Most Diverse Tech Hub Initiative, which aims to strengthen tech skills for diverse talent in future. The city plans to continue these efforts by supporting non-representative founders, finding more ways to connect companies with local talent, and offering on-the-job training and internships for BIPOC Philadelphia who want to move on to a career in tech.
The average tech salary in Philadelphia is $ 106,725 per year – a 10.6% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
7. Tampa
Tampa alone makes up 25% of tech jobs in Florida, with more than 50 IT and software companies located in the city and an additional 2,000 jobs expected to be added in the coming year. Companies like Amazon, Infosys, IBM, Wipro, Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, Capgemini, Uber, Dell, Google, and Salesforce all have offices in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Tech organization was formed over 21 years ago to connect the technology community in Tampa and has since become one of the largest networks for technologists. Tampa is also home to Embarc Collective, which is billed as the state’s “fastest growing startup hub”. Embarc Collective raised a total of $ 107 million in venture capital last year, according to Tampa Magazines.
The average tech salary in Tampa is $ 97,098 per year – a 10.6% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
8. Detroit
As the home of General Motors, Detroit has always been known as Motor City, but it is fast moving into becoming a home for startups and tech giants. Detroit is home to TechTown, an urban research and technology business park that serves as a “community of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, service providers, and corporate partners creating an internationally recognized entrepreneurial village in the city of Detroit,” according to Detroit Free Press. Several tech companies have opened offices in Detroit, including ServiceNow, Nuspire, MathWorks, Detroit Labs, Microsoft, Google, Pegasystems, IBM, Amazon, and Acer.
The average tech salary in Detroit is $ 99,376 per year – a 10.3% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
9. Los Angeles
Los Angeles has always been known as a hot spot for aspiring actors, actresses, and other creatives, but it is also home to a growing technology community. Dubbed Silicon Beach, LA’s tech scene includes surrounding Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Ray, Playa Vista, Playa del Rey, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach. Companies operating out of Silicon Beach include Hulu, Google, Postmates, Dr. Beats. Dre, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Headspace, Snap, Facebook, Microsoft, and The Aerospace Corp. There are many colleges and universities for companies to recruit from such as Loyola Marymount University and Otis College of Art and Design.
The average tech salary in Los Angeles is $ 113,658 per year – a 10.2% increase from 2020, according to Dice.
10. Portland, Ore.
Dubbed Silicon Forest, Portland is home to several high-tech companies such as Tektronix, Intel, Pixelworks, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, and Epson. While establishing Intel headquarters in California, beginning in the 1990s, the company moved its most advanced technical operations to Oregon, and it is now the company’s largest operating hub. Other tech companies that have opened offices in Portland include Airbnb, Google, IBM, Amazon, Logitech, Apple, Nvidia, Oracle, and Salesforce among others.
The average tech salary in Portland is $ 107,185 per year – a 9.3% increase from 2020, according to Dice.