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Top 25 Cities for Tech Jobs
Photo: Franco Folini | CreativeCommons
Tania Khadder, Anna Hennings, Eric Dahl, Adam Starr, Alice Handley | InsideTech
Now more than ever, it’s important to get the best bang for your buck. And there’s no question about it — when it comes to value, not every U.S. city is created equally.
Why chase a great salary if your rent swallows most of it, unemployment is skyrocketing and you spend two hours a day just to get to and from work?
So, which cities offer the most overall value and best tech jobs in 2009?
InsideTech has come up with the top 25 — and some may surprise you! After examining various city lists, weighing the rankings and taking note of our personal opinions, we’ve produced a list of cities that’s sure to offer something for everyone.
Our Criteria
We looked at cities' growth rates, average salaries and costs of living. We factored in average commute time — which, according to experts, has a colossal impact on your overall happiness. We looked not only at unemployment figures, but also at the rate that unemployment has actually increased since February 2008. Finally, we took note of every cities position on Forbes's Most Wired Cities List and noted which major tech or IT employers were in the area.
Thinking of relocating for better job prospects? Need to compare two top contenders? Just curious to see where your city ranks? We’ve got you covered. Read on!
Start Here! City #25 >>
sekanet
6 months ago
2 comments
when you say cost of living (1 to 100), which number is better? i mean, 1 means that cost of living is high or low?
SINGH
6 months ago
2 comments
YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THE COMPOSITION OF POPULATION AND CRIME RATE FOR THEFIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OFTHE VISITORS AS WELL AS SETTLEMENT CONDITIONS.
nevtechs
6 months ago
2 comments
Ihateyou, I agree with you and as for the villageidiots they are as bountiful as the legal field in DC, I grew up there and held jobs in the Banking/Financial Industry as an IT Professional which included the private as well as the Federal Government and yes there are people that push papers and have no clue as to what they are talking about; I'm ex-military and dislike the tone of association as it pertains to the clearances needed, yet there are a large group of people that shouldn't be employed by these companies and yet they are. And they are "sponsored" to obtain the same clearances that some of us once held as part of our commitment to serve, defend and obey the US Constitution and to protect our people, yet these are the same inividuals that have caused or compromised the security of those we proudly chose to protect. Go figure!!
ihateyou
6 months ago
4 comments
VillageSmithy is an idiot. EVERY JOB IN DC requires a top secret security clearence. Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrup, ACCENTURE, any DOD, DOJ contractors requires a TOP SECRET clearance. Companies SPONSOR people to get clearance, you cannot get one by yourself. Retired military seldom have experience in cutting edge software apps, most dont even know basic JAVA. Go to RAYJOBS.com and see how obsessed these companies are with TOP SECRET full Polygraph. No TS_POLY no job no exceptions, Smithy is the Village IDIOT. " Clearly this con artist is a HR hack who knows nothing about technology or the clearence process. Before making the mve to DC mistake, look at the Raytheon, Northrup, ACCENTURE, Booz Allen, websites for job openings. You will see that Village Idiots statement about few, few jobs require a TS clearance is a LIE! Clearly this HR pinhead has no ethics or morals...in other words, a perfect HR tool.
ihateyou
6 months ago
4 comments
ggg
VillageSmithy
6 months ago
10 comments
I hate this doesn't know what he is talking about. A company can not pay to "sponsor" an applicant. Defense Security Service does not accept money from any one. A company must hire someone and then pay them to do something else (or do nothing) while their clearance is processes. Why waste the time and payroll on a self-proclaimed "perfect candidate" when the area is awash in retired military who obtained clearances while they were on active duty. Also, very vew jobs require a top secret clearance. Many require a secret clearance. Most just require a background check. Sorry fella, even among the geeks, character does count.
wmccombs
6 months ago
2 comments
I live 15 miles from the city,was a senior programmer analyst/tech support with 23 yrs exp and was there 10 yrs. Laid off in 8/07. Just got a job in 1/09 in a mortgage company making $11 BUCKS HR
Don't believe this poll one bit. Company after company is laying off here, everywhere around here!!!!
0r1on
6 months ago
2 comments
wow, what are these ranks based on? the whim of one persons opinion? Louisville, KY is home to the largest laptop/desktop facility in the world with over 1000 techs repairing all at one time. and they didnt even place int he top 25
raggedyann
6 months ago
2 comments
Hmm...is the ranking for cost of living better if it's a lower or higher number? That part is unclear. Does a lower number mean higher cost of living or lower cost of living??
be951
6 months ago
4 comments
Philadelphia is the "biggest city on the list"? By what metric? And you might want to check those population numbers. 1.6 million for NYC? The city itself is over 8 million. Metro area must be close to 20. Makes me wonder about the rest of the numbers.
RyanLiu_99
6 months ago
2 comments
not incliuding LA, San Jose?
ihatethis
6 months ago
26 comments
Columbus Ohio?
Insurance companies + banks + state government = mainframe COBOL
No experience with a 30+ year old loader or vi emacs editor program, no interview, no exceptios.
ihatethis
6 months ago
26 comments
Washington D.C. should rank dead LAST. Every Software, IT, Accounting or Finance job requires a TOP SECRET SECURITY CLEARENCE. NO clearance, no job, no exceptions. Everyone there is obsessed with the impossible to get clearence, and everyone is to CHEAP to sponsor a perfect candidate. Also, cost of living is on par with LA, NYC & San Francisco.
hiester
6 months ago
2 comments
Could the photos be any bleaker? Philly looks a lot better than these pictures. How about a photo of the famous LOVE statue on a bright sunny spring day?
laurajordana
6 months ago
8 comments
I don't get the ranks. So does the lower number for Cost of Living means the cost of living is lower?.... I assume so.. but what about Wired Cities Rank?