Economy
The Biggest Tech Talent Hubs in the U.S. and Canada
The Biggest Tech Talent Hubs in the U.S. and Canada
The tech workforce just keeps growing. In fact, there are now an estimated 6.5 million tech workers between the U.S. and Canada — 5.5 million of which work in the United States.
This infographic draws from a report by CBRE to determine which tech talent markets in the U.S. and Canada are the largest. The data looks at total workforce in the sector, as well as the change in tech worker population over time in various cities.
The report also classifies which metro areas and regions can rightly be considered tech hubs in the first place, by looking at a variety of factors including cost of living, average educational attainment, and tech employment levels as a share of different industries.
The Top Tech Hubs in the U.S.
Silicon Valley, in California’s Bay Area, remains the most prominent (and expensive) U.S. tech hub, with a talent pool of nearly 380,000 tech workers.
Here’s a look at the top tech talent markets in the country in terms of total worker population:
| 🇺🇸 Market | Total Tech Talent | % Talent Growth (2016-2021) |
|---|---|---|
| SF Bay Area | 378,870 | 13% |
| New York Metro | 344,520 | 3% |
| Washington D.C. | 259,310 | 6% |
| Los Angeles | 235,800 | 10% |
| Seattle | 189,570 | 32% |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth | 187,950 | 15% |
| Chicago | 167,560 | 6% |
| Boston | 166,450 | 2% |
| Atlanta | 145,080 | 7% |
| Denver | 117,620 | 23% |
| Philadelphia | 115,450 | 7% |
| Minneapolis | 100,990 | 5% |
| Phoenix | 99,600 | 18% |
| Houston | 98,930 | -2% |
| Detroit | 93,770 | 5% |
| Austin | 84,680 | 21% |
| Baltimore | 79,000 | 8% |
| San Diego | 77,780 | 16% |
| Raleigh/Durham | 69,050 | 11% |
| Portland | 67,410 | 28% |
| South Florida | 66,660 | 8% |
| Charlotte | 61,950 | 22% |
| Salt Lake City | 55,930 | 29% |
| St. Louis | 53,910 | 2% |
| Kansas City | 52,500 | 0% |
| Tampa | 52,240 | 13% |
| Columbus | 50,390 | 4% |
America’s large, coastal cities still contain the lion’s share of tech talent, but mid-sized tech hubs like Salt Lake City, Portland, and Denver have put up strong growth numbers in recent years. Seattle, which is home to both Amazon and Microsoft, posted an impressive 32% growth rate over the last five years.
Emerging tech hubs include areas like Raleigh-Durham. The two cities have nearly 70,000 employed tech workers and a strong talent pipeline, seeing a 28% increase in degree completions in fields like Math/Statistics and Computer Engineering year-over-year to 2020. In fact, the entire state of North Carolina is becoming an increasingly attractive business hub.
Houston was the one city on this list that had a negative growth rate, at -2%.
The Top Tech Hubs in Canada
Tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon are continuously and aggressively growing their presence in Canada, further solidifying the country’s status as the next big destination for tech talent. Here are the country’s four tech hubs with a total worker population of more than 50,000:
| 🇨🇦 Market | Total Tech Talent | % Talent Growth (2016-2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 289,700 | 44% |
| Montreal | 148,900 | 27% |
| Vancouver | 115,400 | 63% |
| Ottawa | 81,200 | 22% |
Toronto saw the most absolute growth tech positions in 2021, adding 88,900 jobs. The tech sector in Canada’s largest city has seen a lot of momentum in recent years, and is now ranked by CBRE as North America’s #3 tech hub, after the SF Bay Area and New York City.
Vancouver’s tech talent population increased the most from its original figure, climbing 63%. Seattle-based companies like Microsoft and Amazon have established sizable offices in the city, adding to the already thriving tech scene. Furthermore, Google is set to build a submarine high-speed fiber optic cable connecting Canada to Asia, with a terminus in Vancouver.
Not to be left behind, Ottawa has also taken giant strides to increase their tech talent and stamp their presence. The country’s capital even has the highest concentration of tech employment in its workforce, thanks in part to the success of Shopify.
The small, but well-known tech hub of Waterloo also had a very high concentration on tech employment (9.6%). The region has seen its tech workforce grow by 8% over the past five years.
Six out of the top 10 cities by tech workforce concentration are located in Canada.
Evolution of Tech Hubs
The post-COVID era has seen a shifting definition of what a tech hub means. It’s clear that remote work is here to stay, and as workers migrate to chase affordability and comfort, traditional tech hubs are seeing some decline — or at least slower growth — in their population of tech workers.
While it isn’t evident that there is a mass exodus of tech talent from traditional coastal hubs, the rise in high-paying tech jobs in smaller markets across the country could point to a trend and is positive for the industry.
While more workers with great talent, resources, and education continue to opt for cost-friendly places to reside and work remotely, will newer markets like Charlotte, Tennessee, and Calgary see a rise of tech companies, or will large corporations and startups alike continue to opt for the larger cities on the coast?
Economy
Visualizing the Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs in 2023
Some jobs need a degree, while others don’t. Here are the top 20 most sought-after entry level jobs with and without a degree.
The Most Sought-After Entry Level Jobs of 2023
In the fast-paced realm of job hunting, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. And if you are an entry-level job applicant, the pressure is a notch higher.
New entrants in any job market today compete with groundbreaking technology like ChatGPT in addition to their peers. In the United States, these applicants have to also wade through an uncertain labor market, inflation, and long lists of job requirements.
Indeed.com has identified the most sought-after entry level positions for applicants both with and without a degree in the U.S., and the year-on-year growth of these job postings.
Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs With a Degree
As the U.S. job market recovers from its pandemic slump, some careers are now booming. This in turn has opened up numerous opportunities for entry-level job applicants.
| Rank | Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Change in Postings (2022‒2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outside Sales Representative | $60,000 | +258% |
| 2 | Transportation Coordinator | $47,500 | +227% |
| 3 | Quality Auditor | $84,500 | +131% |
| 4 | Accounting | $52,000 | +125% |
| 5 | Tax Preparer | $67,500 | +123% |
| 6 | Loan Processor | $55,000 | +100% |
| 7 | Retention Specialist | $50,000 | +100% |
| 8 | Network Operations Technician | $85,500 | +94% |
| 9 | Mental Health Manager | $42,000 | +93% |
| 10 | Speech-Language Pathologist | $60,000 | +84% |
| 11 | Geotechnical Engineer | $65,000 | +80% |
| 12 | Patient Access Manager | $90,000 | +77% |
| 13 | HR Coordinator | $67,500 | +75% |
| 14 | Lead Generation Specialist | $62,500 | +73% |
| 15 | Design Coordinator | $55,000 | +73% |
| 16 | Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | $74,378 | +71% |
| 17 | Behavioral Therapist | $50,000 | +68% |
| 18 | Special Events Coordinator | $54,000 | +67% |
| 19 | IT Engineer | $92,500 | +67% |
| 20 | Structural Engineer | $90,000 | +63% |
The demand for sales jobs multiplied this year as customer-facing businesses slowly returned to their pre-pandemic levels.
At the top of this list is the job for an Outside Sales Representative. Paying upwards of $60,000, postings for this job have grown by over 250% in a year, making it the most sought-after position for applicants with a degree.
The healthcare industry has secured its place in the top ranks too. Careers including mental health case managers, speech pathologists, behavioral therapists, and patient access managers dominate the Top 20 list.
Let’s not forget about the tech sector. While entry-level network technicians can earn upwards of $85,000 on average, while IT engineers are paid an entry package of over $90,000.
Most Sought-After Entry-Level Jobs Without a Degree
Nearly 65% of the U.S. working population does not have a four-year degree. However, millions of these workers continue to be highly skilled across professions and have a shot at some of the most sought-after entry level jobs in the country.
| Rank | Job Title | Average Annual Salary | Change in Postings (2022‒2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inventory Manager | $59,000 | +189% |
| 2 | Auto Body Technician | $82,500 | +100% |
| 3 | Environmental Health and Safety Specialist | $65,000 | +100% |
| 4 | Salon Manager | $41,000 | +95% |
| 5 | Drafting Technician | $50,000 | +94% |
| 6 | Business Analyst | $72,500 | +82% |
| 7 | Sheet Metal Mechanic | $62,140 | +67% |
| 8 | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | $57,500 | +64% |
| 9 | Catering Manager | $47,500 | +56% |
| 10 | Transportation/Logistics Coordinator | $62,500 | +53% |
| 11 | Route Sales Representative | $50,000 | +51% |
| 12 | Rental Agent | $45,520 | +50% |
| 13 | Distribution Center Coordinator | $52,500 | +47% |
| 14 | General Maintenance Technician | $40,650 | +46% |
| 15 | Patient Care Coordinator | $43,152 | +44% |
| 16 | Forestry Technician | $45,760 | +43% |
| 17 | Relationship Banker | $43,576 | +43% |
| 18 | Field Sales Representative | $57,018 | +42% |
| 19 | Park Ranger | $45,912 | +42% |
| 20 | Warehouse Receiver | $45,000 | +39% |
One example of this job is that of an Inventory Manager. The demand for skilled inventory managers in warehouses and companies post-pandemic has doubled the position’s job share in a year.
One of the highest paying non-degree jobs in this list—Auto Body Technician—can fetch highly-skilled entry-level workers a salary of $82,000 per year.
These jobs don’t seem to require a degree according to Indeed. However, the rising competition for these positions might give the upper edge to applicants with one, especially for jobs on the list such as Business Analyst and Relationship Banker.
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