Top 7 Emerging Cities in the U.S. for Tech Jobs

By Kevin Howell

If you’re a soon-to-be college graduate looking to line up a job in the tech field, you may have your sights set on one of the well-known tech capitals—Silicone Valley, San Francisco, or New York.

But if you’re looking to get your foot in the door and eventually flourish, don’t overlook some emerging cities that are seeing a boom in tech jobs.

The recruiting site ZipRecruiter released a report last year on small cities making waves in the tech industry. It analyzed metropolitan areas with the most positive job growth as it relates to technology, and found these cities have a low cost of living, local colleges that serve as research hubs, and a continuous entry-level workforce.

So opportunity is knocking, it’s just not in the places you might expect. Here are the top seven emerging cities for tech jobs.

Austin Texas Skyline

Austin, Texas

Though it may be best known for SXSW and its great music scene, Austin is a booming tech city. Companies such as Google, IBM, Dell, Facebook, and eBay have offices there, and the startup scene is growing as well.

The city has more than 50,000 tech job openings, with the primary positions being Java developer, development analyst, software engineer, and network analyst.

Raleigh North Carolina Skyline

Raleigh, NC

The tech capital of the South, Raleigh offers plenty for young engineers. There are more than 28,000 tech jobs open in positions such as infrastructure architect, design engineer, and SQL developer, and plenty of young, brilliant minds and resources from nearby colleges (North Carolina State, University of North Carolina, and Duke).

Provo, Utah

Provo’s startup culture is alive and kicking, and Google has offices there as well. There are more than 8,000 tech job openings in areas such as technical support, Python development, and software engineering. Rent is affordable ($950 median), and there’s plenty of outdoor activities, especially if you like skiing.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Home to companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Advanced Micro Devices, you’ll find plenty of job opportunities in Fort Collins. The city has seen tremendous growth in the tech industry in recent years with 5,590 job openings currently.

Hartford Connecticut Skyline

Hartford, Conn.

Between New York and Boston is this growing tech city with nearly 21,000 job openings in the field. Hartford is home to aerospace and defense industries and hot jobs such as applications engineer, systems analyst, and infrastructure engineer. Yale is nearby, and its home to Trinity College.

Indianapolis Skyline

Indianapolis

Home to big events like the Super Bowl and the Final Four in recent years, Indianapolis also boasts a thriving tech industry with more than 28,000 job openings. Software and security technology are the primary companies that operate here. It’s become a hot spot for young professionals looking for affordable homes and work-life balance.

Boise, Idaho

Boise may not have been on your radar before, but it will be. Major tech employers Hewlett Packard and Microsoft have offices there, and it has an emerging startup culture. You’ll find more than 8,000 IT job openings, affordable living ($925 median rent), and great outdoor life.

There’s a tech industry outside the well-known hubs. These cities offer plenty regarding jobs and recreation. Check out some of them as you do your job search to be part of a tech city on the rise.

You can boost your resume as you job hunt by taking part in engineering projects that transform communities. To find out more, check out more about EPICS in IEEE.