Make room on the shelf. Austin has a new trophy to show off -- and this one is directly related to its booming tech scene.
Austin was named the No. 1 city in the U.S. for IT professionals in a new report by tech trade association CompTIA. That's a bump up from last year's report, which placed Austin at No. 3.
The study examined data on tech job postings, projected job growth, wages, cost of living and other factors. And it placed Austin at No. 1 for both 1-year job growth and 5-year job growth. And it noted that the cost of living here is 3.5% lower than the national average -- and IT pros get paid $452 more per year on average with a median salary of $88,729.
"Pair exponential job growth with a booming real estate market, great schools, a thriving nightlife and an active, outdoor lifestyle, and it’s easy to see why so many people are moving to Austin," the report said. "Of course, increasing interest in Austin means that prices in the area are going up."
The report referenced Austin Chamber of Commerce data that showed 46 tech companies relocated to the city in 2018. That adds to major growth at both local startups and global tech players including Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook.
Austin is poised to see a 16% increase in IT job growth in the next five years. The report also showed promise for another Texas city -- Dallas, which is projected to see 11% growth in IT jobs in the next five years.
While cost of living is certainly a big and constantly changing factor, the report also noted Austin's non-tech side.
"Austin’s reputation for “weirdness” is among the many reasons newbie tech companies are choosing it as their home base, with the hope that the city’s progressive culture and out-of-the-box thinking will inspire innovation," the report said.
Here's CompTIA's full rankings for 2019, with the 2018 rankings in parenthesis.
1. Austin, Texas (3) 2. Raleigh, N.C. (2) 3. San Jose, Calif. (4) 4. Seattle, Wash. (7) 5. San Francisco, Calif. (5) 6. Charlotte, N.C. (1) 7. Dallas, Texas (6) 8. Atlanta, Ga. (9) 9. Denver, Colo. (8) 10. Huntsville, Ala. (10) 11. Washington, D.C. (11) 12. Columbus, Ohio (NR) 13. Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. (15) 14. Boulder, Colo. (19) 15. Boston, Mass. (17) 16. Colorado Springs, Colo. (20) 17. San Diego, Calif. (NR) 18. Jacksonville, Fla. (NR) 19. Tampa, Fla. (NR) 20. Baltimore, Md. (16)
