Austin has become accustomed to high rankings when it comes to technology, education and quality of life. And a new study by the Computing Technology Industry Association -- or CompTIA -- seems to verify the city's tech status.
Austin was named the No. 3 tech town in the U.S., based on a variety of metrics focused on job opportunities, salary, cost of living and quality of life. Charlotte and Raleigh ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Dallas ranked No. 6, and it was the only other Texas city on the list.
The rankings by the IT training and advocacy organization were based off of data collected between August 2017 and July 2018 from 20 metro areas with at least 250,000 people.
“As technology permeates every corner of our personal and professional lives, employment opportunities are expanding across the nation and fueling job growth in regions not traditionally thought of as tech hubs,” Nancy Hammervik, VP of industry relations at CompTIA, said in a news release. “The geographic diversity of the index is something we’re very excited to see and demonstrates the positive impact the technology industry is having on regional economies.”
The reported noted that Austin had 37,551 tech jobs posted in the past year, and that number is growing. Meanwhile, IT pros in Austin earn a median salary of $82,285, and the study notes Texas doesn't have an income tax.
Here's the full rankings:
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C.
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Austin-Round Rock, Texas
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.
- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo.
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga.
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
- Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.
- Madison, Wisc.
- Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md.
- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Mass.
- Trenton, N.J.
- Boulder, Colo.
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
