Careers Career Paths The 10 Best Cities to Live in for Tech Share PINTEREST Email Print Evening Rush hour in Raleigh, NC. (c) Swapan Jha Career Paths Technology Careers Sports Careers Sales Project Management Professional Writer Music Careers Media Legal Careers US Military Careers Government Careers Finance Careers Fiction Writing Careers Entertainment Careers Criminology Careers Book Publishing Aviation Animal Careers Advertising Learn More By Laurence Bradford Laurence Bradford Laurence Bradford, founder of Learn to Code With Me, is a front-end developer and website content strategist who writes about entering the tech world. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 10/14/19 Looking to move, but want to make sure you’re not left high and dry for a job? These are some of the best places to live as a tech worker looking for great employment opportunities with the potential for growth. Research Triangle, NC Consisting of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, this area of North Carolina earned its nickname for its dense concentration of research universities and related activities. Forbes named Raleigh the “second best city for tech job creation” in April 2015. Estimated population (2018): 469,298 (Raleigh), 2,238,315 (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical area) Annual average tech salary: $91,686 (Raleigh) Average monthly rental rate: $1,262 (Raleigh) Top tech companies that operate there: Cisco Systems, Red Hat, Inc., Citrix, IBM Top tech job sectors: Infrastructure ArchitectDesign EngineerSQL DeveloperJava DeveloperTooling Engineer San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, CA area Also known as “Silicon Valley,” it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the tech sector is hot here. Silicon Valley is a loosely defined geographic reason, so stats may vary. Estimated population (2018): 1,030,119 (San Jose) Annual average tech salary: $205,650 (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area) Average monthly rental rate: $3,064 (San Jose) Top tech companies that operate there: Apple, Adobe, eBay Top tech job sectors: Infrastructure ArchitectSoftware EngineerJava Developer Austin, TX Austin is home to many bigger, more established companies, but it also has a thriving startup scene, so you have options for where you’ll best fit in. Estimated population (2018): 2,168,316 (Austin-Round Rock metro area) Annual average tech salary: $90,420 (Austin-Round Rock metro area) Average monthly rental rate: $1,556 Top tech companies that operate there: Dell, IBM, Intel Top tech job sectors: Java DeveloperNetwork AdministratorTechnical WriterDevelopment AnalystSoftware Engineer Portland, OR A kind of Silicon Valley of the northwest, the suburbs west of Portland are sometimes referred to as the “Silicon Forest.” Estimated population (2018): 653,115 (Portland), 2,478,810 (Portland metro area) Annual average tech salary: $89,190 Average monthly rental rate: $1,653 Top tech companies that operate there: Intel, Zapproved, Vernier Software & Technology Top tech job sectors: IT Service ManageriOS DeveloperProgrammer AnalystSenior QA Analyst Provo, UT Here, you’ll be working alongside a fair share of BYU grads. There are plenty of startups and independent entities, but Google has a branch there as well. Estimated population (2018): 116,702 Average annual tech salary: $81,740 Average monthly rental rate: $1,161 Top tech companies that operate there: Google, Google Fiber, Qualtrics Top tech job sectors: Technical SupportPython DeveloperSoftware Engineer Fort Collins, CO This Colorado city combines small-town charm with great tech employment opportunities. Estimated population (2018): 167,830 Average annual tech salary: $85,990 Average monthly rental rate: $1,359 Top tech companies that operate there: Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Top tech job sectors: Software QAApplication Software DeveloperTest Engineer Indianapolis, IN This Midwest city is home to Fortune 500 companies and some specifically tech-oriented businesses. Estimated population (2018): 867,125 Average annual tech salary: $75,100 Average monthly rent rate: $1,006 Top tech companies that operate there: One Click Ventures, Phoenix Data Top tech job sectors: Java DeveloperInfrastructure ArchitectNet Developer Boise, ID Boise ranks well for affordability and quality of life, and it's home to startups and industry giants alike. Estimated population (2018): 228,790 Average annual tech salary: $71,917 Average monthly rental rate: $1,175 Top tech companies that operate there: Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard Top tech job sectors: Software EngineerApplication EngineerMobile Software DeveloperFirmware Engineer Nashville, TN This is a big city for healthcare and biotechnology (and country music, but you already knew that). Estimated population (2018): 1,932,099 (Nashville metro area) Average annual tech salary: $79,190 (Nashville metro area) Average monthly rental rate: $1,458 Top tech companies that operate there: Infoworks, Zycron Top tech job sectors: IT ManagerInformation Security EngineeriOS DeveloperSenior Programmer Analyst Manchester, NH With Boston and Portland reasonably close and numerous tech giants within the city itself, Manchester is a great choice for those who want lots of options. Estimated population (2018): 112,525 Average annual tech salary: $85,050 Average monthly rental rate: $1,338 Top tech companies that operate there: Dell, Hewlett-Packard Top tech job sectors: Java DeveloperSystems ArchitectSenior IT Project ManagerUI Software Engineer The Bottom Line Tech jobs are pretty much everywhere these days—but there’s also competition everywhere. Although you’ll still have to work for it, any of these cities will offer you a great opportunity to establish yourself in the career of your dreams.