Land of the Free, Home of ...IT?

The six best U.S. states to look for IT work

- REENA GHOSH

With rapid technological change and continuing tech economic growth, there are an increasing number of places one can go in the United States to establish a thriving IT career. While there are a range of jobs available at the familiar, established locations — such as Silicon Valley (and environs), New York, and Massachusetts — new tech hubs are emerging in other U.S. states.

Though many tech professionals relocate at some point or other in their career, it’s not uncommon to wind up someplace new and quickly experience a sort of “buyer’s remorse” regarding your relocation. It’s worth taking the time to think through the potential pros and cons of living in this state or that city before you pack your bags.

People relocate for different reasons and salary is only one of those reasons. Cost of living, innovation, and job security are other important factors. Other reasons include climate and lifestyle options. We weighed several different factors to determine which states, including both traditional powerhouses and up-and-comers, are the best first options for IT pros looking for work.

California and New York are expensive even for highly-paid tech pros, but some of the other states discussed here are far more affordable. Most of the statistics quoted in this article are drawn from CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2019 report, which has loads of useful information.

In 2018, the technology workforce in the United States totaled approximately 11.8 million. Compared to 2017, that figure indicates growth of 2.3 percent, or 260,865 new jobs. U.S. tech employment is expected to keep growing, with the highest job growth found among software and web developers, followed by cybersecurity analysts and IT support specialists.

All six states discussed here registered growth in their overall number of tech jobs in 2018.

California