Sometimes you have to share the crown.
Charlotte slipped from No. 1 to No. 6 on tech trade association CompTIA's second Tech Town Index. Austin took the No. 1 spot, followed by Raleigh and San Jose, Calif. Chapel Hill/Durham took the No. 13 spot, up two from last year's rankings.
Using data from job postings between August 2018-July 2019, CompTIA analyzed elements like projected growth in the new year, cost of living and open IT positions in 20 American metros with populations of 250,000.
"The clear takeaway is that there are opportunities for challenging, rewarding and well-paying tech jobs across the United States," said CompTIA Executive Vice President for Industry Relations Nancy Hammervik. "Whether you're working in IT today, or contemplating employment in tech, there's a great chance that you can find a locale that offers you the opportunity to attain your career aspirations while living in an environment that accommodates your lifestyle preference."
As for Charlotte's second-year performance, the report cites change in the rate of long-term job growth as one of the chief reasons the metro's ranking slipped. While 2018's data indicated an 11% job growth over the next 5 years, 2019's is 9%.
"But don’t let that fool you—this Tech Town is still putting its money where its mouth is," the report states. "Even with a slightly lower projected 5-year job growth rate compared to last year’s, the Charlotte market offers businesses a chance to evolve within a flourishing tech scene, and offers IT pros an opportunity to flex their entrepreneurial muscles while earning a median salary of $91,617 ($3,340 more than the US overall annually) in an area where the cost of living 2.5% lower than the national average."
Here are 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)
